Fated
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A huntress and the hunted. A princess and a knight. A human and a beast. A runaway and an aristocrat. Four seasons. Four stories. Four girls. Fated to be together. [Fairytale AU].
1. The Huntress And The Hunted

**At last, after 4 or 5 months of waiting, this is my Fairytale AU! The idea behind this was to use all the girls in team RWBY, and each chapter is based somewhat off their respective fairytales, some more loosely than others, as you'll see.**

 **Each chapter is for a different pairing as well, and each of the four girls are in two chapters each. There is no Monochrome chapter though, because I gave them their own entire fairytale fic with Ocean Treasures (no Ruby/Yang either).**

 **Also, each chapter is its own complete story, and chapters are unrelated.**

 **This is the "spring" chapter.**

 **This chapter is Ruby and Blake, based loosely off Little Red Riding Hood's tale. Blake's speech is intended to read a bit awkwardly, and you'll understand why.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 1.

The Huntress And The Hunted

Beams of milky morning sunlight stretched their fingertips through the window, illuminating the rosy cheeks of a slumbering girl.

The brightness was what soon woke her, but she never groaned or complained to herself about needing to wake. The light compelled her to move, and the darkness to rest, as was the case with all human beings.

She pushed herself up slowly, stretching as her messy brown bangs hung down over her eyes, and she pushed them aside with a warm palm.

As she roused herself, her silver eyes traveled around the humble room where she spent the nights. Shelves of books lined the walls, among a few trinkets and paintings that had been donated by family and hung up herself.

After seventeen years of living under the supervision of others, her freedom had come to her at the age of eighteen for a small price of coins she'd obtained from her profession.

The little cabin she dwelled in was several miles from the nearest marketplace, and she often hunted for her own meat, or sold the pelts of wolves for profit with which she would purchase seasonings and other necessities.

It always baffled her fellow villagers how she could manage to hunt wolves alone - and more often than not - successfully. Not only because she was a small, young girl, but because of the glaring red cloak she always adorned when entering the woods.

They wondered how the beasts never saw her coming, but every time, she simply replied with a wide, toothy grin:

"I'm too fast for them!"

A small vegetable garden she'd planted behind the cabin produced a bountiful harvest for a single young girl, and various fencing and wires ensured straying deer and rabbits would keep out.

A nearby creek gave her all the water she required free of charge. She'd always favored the taste of creek-water, anyway. She could taste the wild minerals in it, unfiltered and untainted by mankind.

She'd always been somewhat of a free spirit – her father and sister had told her as much, hence why they had agreed to let her live her chosen lifestyle, though they reminded her they were only half a day's journey away should she ever need them for anything.

Ruby Rose was her name, a title appropriate for a girl who wore a crimson cloak by day and red blankets at night.

Always red with her.

Presently, she pried herself from the mattress and stretched her legs, shaking her head and pulling her longish hair over one shoulder.

She then sauntered into the small kitchen area where she lit the stove aflame and began preparing a meal.

She carved up some leftover deer meat and started to cook it, munching on a pear she'd purchased on her last visit to market as she did so. She added a few seasonings onto the bit of meat, and when it was finished, sat down at the little table.

She often wondered why they had bothered putting two chairs in her cabin. On occasion, her elder sister would stop by to visit, but the blonde had since become busy with her own work.

The vacant chair always served to make her feel more than a little lonely.

But she only ever had a few seconds to spare for self-pity.

Ruby ate quickly and heartily, scarfing down meat not unlike the very animals she hunted. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve when she was finished, placing the dishes in the sink to tend to later.

Today was a good day for hunting.

Heading to her quarters, Ruby shed her sleepwear dress and exchanged it for attire she'd purchased in town - a simple white corset and dress lined with red frills that covered down to her knees and wrists. Black leggings and brown boots were pulled on next, and she crouched to tie the laces into little bows.

At last, the infamous red cloak was secured around her shoulders. Even her rifle had been painted red by her own hand.

She ran a hand through her hair and chanted for good fortune on today's hunt.

And yet, Ruby knew that luck or no luck, there was little chance she wouldn't be successful.

Rifle in hand, she slipped out the cabin door and into the lush green forest.

* * *

Mournful howls rose up on the air, grieving cries carried by the silent wind.

The Red Huntress had claimed another life.

But not the life of just _any_ other wolf – she'd killed one of Blake's own.

Abandoned by her human parents as a baby, Blake had been left on the streets of the village until someone else would take her.

But not a single human who'd noticed her had shown a shred of compassion or pity on the wailing infant. They'd all passed on, calming their guilty consciouses by assuming that someone else would soon take her in.

But after two days, still no one had.

Blake had very nearly perished before her first month of life had even finished.

But the nearby forest had been particularly interested in her, it seemed.

The deer and rabbits had all been too frightened by her loud cries, but the wolves hadn't minded the sounds.

Rather than take an easy meal, the alpha female of the pack made the snap decision to take the baby in as her own. She was unable to bear pups, and a maternal instinct that transcended species had smitten her.

Blake had been raised by that pack until she could walk how her two legs naturally allowed.

She'd been encouraged to play with the village children at a young age, so she may learn their speech and mannerisms. It was those children who had given Blake her name, due to her long, shaggy black hair.

Despite her life with the wolves, her interactions with humans had not been entirely severed, as she still frequented the market to purchase clothes with money she'd made from selling herbs and wild vegetables.

There was still a human sense of bashfulness that begged her to cover herself with vestments and hold a conversation with one of the humans from time to time.

But for the most part – as it always had been – her life belonged to the wolves.

And yet, the life of one of her own now belonged to the Red Huntress.

Blake crouched upon a hillside with the rest of her howling pack. Through the thicket of brambles and branches, she could just make out a splash of red making its merry way through the trees a mile away.

The huntress had shot and killed a young male of Blake's pack who'd gone by the name of Gray Tooth.

He'd always preached and boasted about how he'd slay the notorious huntress himself if she ever ventured into their part of the forests. But despite the other wolves' orders to flee rather than fight her when she'd ventured in that morning, Gray Tooth had foolishly tried his luck and lost his life to the huntress' lethal skill.

Blake had seen the whole thing as she'd been fleeing with the others.

Her first priority in any hunting attack was to get her aging mother – the alpha female – to safety. She couldn't run as fast as the other wolves anymore, but neither could Blake; even after living in the forest most of her life, her human body still hindered her in certain ways.

She'd glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the bullet being fired, just in time to see it shoot into Gray Tooth's jaws and leave him lifeless and leaking crimson.

Now, the huntress was skipping away with his corpse on her shoulder as though the weight of a full-grown wolf was nothing to her, twirling her rifle in her free hand.

Blake was left to crumple in the grass and tear at it with her nails. The rest of her pack paced around her, whimpering and howling their grief.

Blake herself cried like any other human.

Her mother treaded slowly over to where Blake knelt with her face in her hands. The old she-wolf curled around Blake and nuzzled her cheek by means of comfort.

Blake clung to her matted fur and sobbed freely.

She lifted her head only to watch the tip of the huntress' red cloak disappear into the undergrowth beyond.

Always red with her.

Red like the blood of Blake's adoptive kin, all the blood she'd spilled senselessly.

And yet, in the months since the huntress had arrived here, Blake had recognized something about the girl.

She never hunted docile wolves, only ones who attacked her first.

In a way, she was only defending her own life.

And Blake hated that.

She hated that because it made it impossible to hate the huntress or blame her for her actions. Blake _wanted_ to hate her, but she simply couldn't.

Yet it was clear the others could.

While the majority of the pack continued their mourning, Blake and her mother looked up as a large male lumbered over to them. He bore a long scar down the right side of his body, a battle wound from previous hunters – unsuccessful ones.

He'd sensed right away the skill of this Red Huntress, and vowed never to engage her.

His name was Night Scar, and he was in fact the alpha of the pack, their leader and protector.

And yet, he had failed to protect them all today.

Blake saw the sorrow in his dark eyes and she whimpered, reaching out to him and bumping her head softly against his neck. He grunted in return, a sign of having accepted her gesture.

Thanks to her visits to the village, Blake was fluent with her native human tongue, but was even more so with wolf language. She could only speak in human tongue to them, but they understood her.

Blake deciphered everything Night Scar was communicating to her mother, his lifelong mate named Aurora.

 _"It was my fault,"_ he growled. _"I should have stopped him. I should have sunk my teeth in that scrawny scruff of his and dragged him away myself."_

Blake's mother whined in response.

 _"It isn't your fault. That pup was set to fight her one way or another. He would've found a way sooner or later, and met the same fate. At least this way it was a swift death."_

Blake nodded at her mother's words.

"Yes..." she sniffed. "The huntress is always merciful with her kills, if nothing else. She never needs to fire more than one bullet, and always makes her mark. The ones she's killed never suffered at least..."

 _"Which is more than can be said for other hunters,"_ her father agreed. _"But I fear it won't be long before the hot-headed members of the packs have all been flushed out. What happens when there are no wolves left in the forest who will attack her? Will she start killing innocents?"_

 _"I'd like to think she'd move on,"_ his mate offered. _"Migrate to a new forest."_

"So she can kill _more_ wolves?" Blake snapped. She was rarely curt – especially with her mother – but the grief wasn't helping her emotions right now. "Mother, if she stays or goes, she'll still be hunting wolves. She uses our pelts for money because they fetch a good price. She's doing what she needs to survive."

 _"As should we,"_ the alpha growled. _"I fear the only chance we may have would be to charge her all at once. There's no way she could possibly shoot an entire pack. One of us would get close enough to-"_

"What are you saying?" Blake shrieked. "Are you saying you... that you're going to have the pack attack her next time?"

 _"...Not all of us,"_ he grunted. _"The old, the queens, and the pups stay behind. But I'll round up every able and willing wolf in the forest if I have to devise such a scheme."_

His mate snarled in defiance.

 _"You can't be serious. You'll only get yourselves killed. You've seen how quickly she moves! Even if one of you does managed to reach her, she'll still end up killing most of you!"_

 _"And wouldn't that be for the better?"_ he barked. _"To make sacrifices now so our offspring won't have to live in fear?"_

 _"There will always be hunters, Night Scar."_

 _"Yes, but none like_ this _one."_ He threw his head back and shook himself off.

Blake could see in his eyes that he'd made up his mind on this matter. She was just as horrified by his proposal as her mother was, and Blake wasn't about to let him go through with it.

He gathered a breath and prepared to make a booming howl, one to signal all wolves in the area to gather.

But before he could part his jaws, Blake stopped him.

"Wait! We don't have to do this!"

Her father lowered his head and shook it.

 _"Unfortunately I can't see any other way, Blake. You have always been too kind to live the life of a wolf."_

"Or maybe you've always been too cruel to live the life of a human."

 _"It seems you've forgotten that I am_ not _a human. You are."_

Blake's jaw dropped in dismay, her eyes a mixture of outrage and hurt.

But she knew he was right; though she'd always considered herself a wolf first and foremost, she couldn't deny the form she'd been born with and the tongue that she spoke.

She was arranging her thoughts to address Night Scar again, but he cut her off first.

 _"Perhaps... it is time you go back to them. Back to the humans. You will be safest there, Blake."_

"No!" she snarled instantly. "Even if you drive me away, I won't go to them! I can't – not after all this time..." She bit her lip and shook her head. "Listen to me, Father. Don't risk the carnage of your plan. Let me... go to the huntress."

Both of her parents growled instantly.

 _"Have you gone mad?"_ Night Scar snorted. _"She'll kill you."_

"Not if I don't attack her. As you said, _I'm_ a human, Father. I can speak to her."

Her mother looked at Blake with scared eyes.

 _"Blake..."_

 _"I won't let you,"_ her father snapped.

Blake raised her head and met his eyes levelly.

"I'm not asking you to."

His ears went flat, and his eyes wide.

Blake bowed her head and got to her feet, so her father's height only reached her elbows.

"The next time she ventures into the forest, I'll go to her. I can speak to her. It's better than coming to more deaths. The soil is already getting used to drinking our blood. I'll be sure to put an end to all of this."

She looked down into her parents' eyes. This was why she had stood to her full height, to look down at them, to convey that she was in charge of this decision now, whether they accepted it or not.

Night Scar and Aurora shared a solemn glance before releasing a collective sigh.

 _"Very well,"_ her father agreed. _"I'll keep the pack nearby in case-"_

"No," Blake said firmly. "You must keep them in hiding a good distance away. If the huntress feels threatened, she might attack."

He growled again, clawing the earth in frustration when he saw the truth in her words.

Blake smiled a little and knelt down, wrapping her arms around his broad, muscular shoulders.

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Night Scar rested his chin on her shoulder for a moment, and Blake's mother rose to her paws and pressed gently to the girl's back.

Then, her father pulled away.

 _"I'll tell the pack we'll rest here for tonight."_

Blake watched him trot away, tail drooping in defeat.

Blake was intent to keep her promise to him at any cost.

* * *

It was a few days after Ruby had sold the wolf pelt and meat in the marketplace.

It had earned her enough money to buy some fresh fruits and clothing, and she still had plenty left over to spend on her next trip.

Due to her success, she'd decided to treat herself today.

It was a misty morning of hissing drizzles, shrouding the forest outside in a grey haze. She could hear water dripping from the edges of the roof of her cabin, and the crows were cawing more than the other birds were.

Despite the fact that it was a rainy day, Ruby wasn't about to let the poor weather intrude on her plans.

She dressed herself as per usual, in her red and white dress, pulling her cloak on over herself. She ate an apple for breakfast, but didn't satiate herself; she needed to save some room for the picnic.

Skipping over to the single closet beside the kitchen, Ruby opened the small doors and rummaged around for a moment until she found what she was looking for - a hand-woven picnic basket that her sister had constructed for her.

It had been a parting gift to her when she'd struck out on her own, and Ruby only used it on special occasions like today.

She dusted it off a bit, heading back to the kitchen with the handle on her arm.

She made herself some sandwiches with meat and various vegetables on them, and packed them away along with a canteen of water.

Next was a vine of grapes, as Ruby was a connoisseur of sugar in every form, even fruit.

Finally, she went to her special cupboard, where she kept a small stash of treats. She only purchased the little chocolates when she went into the village, and she rationed the sweets as best as her stomach would allow her to.

Normally, she kept to eating two or three per week, but today she was spoiling herself. She packed two of them into her basket, wrapping them in napkins to ensure they wouldn't fall out or get crushed.

Once she was set, she skipped out the door, pulling up her hood and starting out into the lush, green forest, humming to herself all the while.

* * *

In recent months, hunters – mainly the little red one – had more or less driven Blake's pack to become nocturnal, more so than nature had ever demanded of them.

They slept when the huntress was awake, and hunted for themselves when she slept, going to extreme measures to avoid her. Blake had grown very used to moving about in the dark shadows, in contrast to the huntress who preferred bright daylight.

Today was a misty day somewhere between the two, and Blake took it as a sign that it would be the ideal time for their two worlds to collide.

Presently, she crouched with her pack on a tall hill, her keen vision cutting through the trees to stay trained on the red hood bobbing through the woods below.

The huntress had entered the forest again today, but despite her pack's unease, Blake could tell right away that the girl wasn't carrying her rifle this time.

They watched from afar, tracking her for a while until the girl came to a stop in the middle of a small clearing.

It was then Blake nodded to her father, indicating that he should lead the pack away. He held her gaze for a long moment.

 _"Be careful."_

"I will."

She hugged him briefly and then did the same for her mother.

Then, Night Scar signaled to the rest of the pack to retreat.

Blake watched the mass of gray bodies disappear into the underbrush, until the last tail tip had vanished.

Then, she gave her full attention to the huntress below.

Blake inhaled a steadying breath, and then began to make her way down the cliff.

* * *

Ruby set up for her picnic in a small open space, where little yellow and purple flowers bloomed in the grass.

She laid out her red-and-white checkered blanket and crossed her legs as she sat down on top of it, reaching into her basket to pull out its contents.

She started by eating her sandwiches first; better to get the scent of meat off the wind as soon as possible, after all. She hummed while she ate, sometimes tunes that she knew well and sometimes simply whatever fit her fancy.

In a matter of minutes, the sandwiches were gone, and she reached for some of the fruit, choosing a pear. She laid down onto her back and took a bite, fixating her eyes on the vast grey sky above, dappled in some spots with patches of blue.

Wisps of cottony clouds passed lazily by overhead, and Ruby soon forgot to eat her pear. She was transfixed by the tranquility of the scene above her, and the prospect of a nap was starting to sound appealing.

However, a rustling among the nearby bushes put her on alert immediately. She sat up swiftly, dropping her fruit and reaching to her boot, bracing her fingers over a small, hidden dagger she kept there.

But she didn't draw it yet. Instead she waited, eyes cast in the direction of the noise. It sounded like a large creature, perhaps a deer or even a wolf, and depending on which it turned out to be, she may or may not need the knife.

But then, what stepped out before her wasn't anything close to what she'd been expecting.

A human girl emerged from behind the trees, revealing only half of herself at first before taking another cautious step forward.

She had long, scraggly black hair, and her clothes were a bit tattered and dusty. The garments she wore were merely a common wool shirt and pants Ruby herself had seen being sold cheaply on various marketplace shelves here and there. The girl's hands clung to the bark of a nearby tree, and her golden eyes were set directly on Ruby.

The huntress relaxed a little when she realized she wasn't in danger.

But she knew this girl might be.

"Hey!" Ruby called out softly to her. "Are you okay? Do you need help? These woods aren't exactly safe for a normal person to be walking around in."

The girl didn't budge, but merely continued to stare.

Ruby waited for a moment before trying again to speak to her.

"I can help you if you need it. I know my way around these woods. I can lead you back to town, if you'd like."

Another moment of silence passed, and neither of them moved. Ruby frowned, at a loss for what she could do for this strange girl.

But before she could call out to her again, the dark-haired girl finally stepped away from the tree. She moved very slowly, like a deer walking onto a field of land mines, as though she were hesitant about leaving the cover of the trees and venturing out into the clearing that exposed her.

Ruby said nothing as she waited patiently for the girl to move closer.

In the end, she halted about a dozen feet from Ruby's picnic area. She seemed to straighten up a bit, as if resolving herself.

Ruby waited, watching the girl part her trembling lips.

"I want... to talk to you," she said.

Ruby recognized right away that she had a bit of an awkward accent, as though she wasn't used to speaking all that much.

"To me?" Ruby parroted. "Do we know each other? Maybe you've seen me in town?"

But the dark-haired girl shook her head, her expression unreadable.

"No. I've seen you here. In the forest. Many times."

Ruby fell silent, rendered speechless. The other girl took her chance to continue.

"I... live here. In the forest. With my pack. I live with the wolves." Here, her eyes narrowed. "And _you've_ been killing us."

Baffled, Ruby felt her jaw drop a little.

Clearly, this girl didn't spend too much time around humans, as her facial features lacked many expressions and idiosyncrasies.

But the anguish in her eyes was real – Ruby could tell that much right away.

The huntress swallowed, clearing her throat a little.

"You... live with the wolves?"

"...Yes," the other growled. "And yesterday, you killed one of my brothers. He won't come back to us. But _you_ always do. You come back every time."

Ruby flinched at the accusation. A little twinge of guilt traveled through her, but she wasn't about to let it consume her. She met the other girl's eyes levelly.

"I'm sorry, but I did what I had to," she stated. "Your brother attacked me first. Every time I come out here, I'm only defending myself. I'm trying to make a living and survive. Isn't that what you're all doing? Trying to survive?"

The dark-haired girl snorted and opened her mouth as though she longed to scream, but refused to. Instead, she took a deep breath, but kept her eyes focused on Ruby.

"I understand," she muttered. "I understand... that you're only doing, what you must to live. That is why, I'm also doing what I must to live, and for my pack to live. That is why I came to speak to you."

Another moment passed, and both girls scoured the other from head to boots. The only weapons the dark-haired girl had on her were ten sharp nails, but that couldn't be helped. If something were to occur that warranted Ruby's escape, she had her uncanny speed on her side.

The huntress reached slowly for her knife, but her eyes remained on the other. The girl followed the motion of Ruby's hand. The instant she saw the blade, she snarled and stepped back quickly.

"No! It's okay..." Ruby lifted the knife into plain sight before tossing it across the clearing behind her.

The dark-haired girl watched her, her fury soon melting into confusion as her gaze met silver once more.

Ruby offered a pacifying smile to her.

"If you've come here to talk then please, sit with me, ah...?"

The dark-haired girl was still, rigid for a moment as she surveyed Ruby's picnic area, but could locate no other weapons. Cautiously, she took one more step forward, just to the edge of the blanket, and sat down.

"Blake," she grunted. "I'm called Blake."

"Blake..." Ruby heard the name in her own voice for the first time. "It seems very fitting for you. My name's Ruby."

"Ruby..." Blake tried the name out for herself as well. "Fitting."

Ruby chuckled a little. Then, she was sure to get back to the matter at hand.

"So, Blake... you live with the wolves?" She leaned forward, like a child eager to hear a story read to her.

Blake met her eyes and nodded once.

"Yes. The only things, humans gave me were my name, my clothes, and a bit of speech. The wolves are the ones who raised me. They are my life. And that is why I must protect them at all costs. That is why I have come to talk."

"I get it," Ruby said. "I... only started hunting because I'd heard of others who did the same. After I struck out on my own, I wanted a bit of action in my life, and hunting seemed like the best way to have that. And wolves... well wolves are the killers, so they're valuable. But..."

Her eyes traveled to Blake's, but she couldn't hold the other girl's gaze this time. Ashamed, Ruby looked away again.

"But I never... never thought of them like you do. I never really considered the fact that... they have brothers and sisters and parents. That they have relationships and could love each other."

That had been upsetting her since Blake had said it earlier, that Ruby had killed her _brother_ yesterday. Ruby swallowed, sniffling a little, but when she next lifted her head, her eyes were watering.

"Blake... you mean... all this time... I've been killing someone's friends and family?"

The gravity of her words then rushed over her all at once. Her lip trembled and she bit it as Blake nodded to her solemnly.

"Until now, you've killed members of other packs," she explained. "But yesterday you started on mine. And I can't let you continue." She took a breath, one they both needed, and went on. "I realize I am a human, not a wolf. When they try to speak to you, you can't understand them... But you can understand me. And I realized, that I am the only one who can speak to you... I should have done it sooner... but I was scared..."

Ruby was still fighting back bitter tears.

"I... I wish you'd come to me sooner, too," she sniffed. "It seemed... like I'd been doing a good thing in hunting wolves. People always say that wolves are just... mindless killers..."

"Funny," Blake murmured. "The wolves say the same about you."

Ruby couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She put a hand to her face and sobbed softly. It hurt to think about the dozen or so wolves she'd killed since moving into her cabin.

What families had she broken apart with her bullets? Whose parents had she murdered? How many children's lives had she cut short?

She'd never thought of wolves like that. She'd never thought of any species other than humans like that.

"I know..." she hiccuped. "I have no right to say it... and that it won't bring them back... but I'm s-sorry..."

Blake couldn't believe it, that she'd actually been successful in speaking to the Red Huntress – Ruby.

And the ruthless killer who'd plagued the forest for months had now been reduced to a blubbering mess in a matter of minutes.

The sight of Ruby's tears made Blake feel her own rising behind her eyes, and she wiped her arm over her face.

"They called you a mindless killer..." she repeated. "And now here you are, wailing like a newborn pup."

Ruby buried her face deeper into her hands.

"Because... I never thought-"

"I know you didn't," Blake said. "That's why I... decided to come speak to you. To make you see. To make you understand. I can't blame you for what you've been doing, because you are only trying to survive... But I believe there is a way for _all_ of us to survive without the need for more bloodshed."

Ruby vigorously wiped her tears, looking up at Blake once more. The other girl's golden eyes had softened a little, and her lips had curled up into a slight smile, the first Ruby had seen on her since their encounter had begun.

Ruby sighed, finally having gotten ahold of herself.

"What... what do you mean?"

Blake nodded to her and stood.

"I have an idea. Come with me. I'll show you."

Though puzzled, Ruby quickly packed her things away into her basket, stuffing the blanket in on top. Blake watched her, clearing her throat as she looked over Ruby's shoulder.

"What about your blade?"

Ruby didn't even bother glancing behind her.

"I don't need it. I trust you, Blake."

And Blake knew she meant it. Huntress or not, Ruby was defenseless without any weapons - entirely vulnerable.

Blake opted to honor Ruby's trust in her, and put a bit of faith in her as well.

"Very well. Follow me."

Blake turned her back and began walking toward the groves of trees.

It was the first time she'd shown Ruby her back; the huntress easily could have pulled another concealed knife and charged Blake from behind. For Blake, turing her back was the greatest display of trust.

But Ruby never rushed her or tried to harm her, and Blake almost felt foolish for ever expecting her to.

She led Ruby into the woods, knowing exactly where she planned to take her.

Despite the fact that Ruby had put her trust in Blake, she was still a bit hesitant when she followed her through the trees; she'd never been this far in without her rifle before.

They trekked for several minutes, and it was made clear to Ruby just how long Blake had lived in this forest. Her old boots moved easily over every fallen log and twisted root, and Blake maneuvered through brambles and thorn bushes with ease.

Ruby followed a bit more slowly, and somewhat more clumsily, often struggling to find her footing. Blake waited for her before continuing onward.

After a few more minutes of movement, Ruby felt compelled to ask.

"Where are we going?"

"We're almost there," came the reply.

She hadn't wanted to doubt Blake's motives and intentions of taking her deeper into the forest unarmed.

But when Ruby heard the unmistakable sounds of snarls from up ahead, she froze in place.

"Wolves..." she muttered. "There are wolves up ahead! You're leading me into an ambush!"

"No!" Blake spun around to face her, eyes wide in dismay. "No, I'm not! I don't know why they're here. They shouldn't be." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "This isn't my pack," she determined. "Let me speak to them. I won't let them attack you."

Ruby stayed where she was, watching as Blake advanced.

A pair of wolves emerged to meet her. What Ruby inferred to be snarls of rage were evidently simple greetings, as Blake dipped her head to them calmly.

Ruby heard what she was saying to the wolves.

"Greetings. I'm looking to pass through here to get to the next clearing."

The response was more growls, and Ruby flinched, fearing they might jump on Blake or herself.

But it seemed they were communicating with her somehow. Ruby watched astounded as Blake continued to speak to them.

"Wow..." the huntress murmured. "She can understand them... and they can understand human language..."

Ruby perked up when she heard Blake's voice again, firm and decisive.

"I'm going to show her a way to end all of this. The Red Huntress has only been doing what she must to survive, as have we. She does not hunt for sport. Her methods may be different from ours, but her goal is the same. She obtains the necessary supplies in order to live. She hunts us just as we hunt deer and rabbits. She is the same as we are. Except _she_ has an alternative to killing us. Please, let me show her."

Ruby looked to the pair of wolves. They grunted and snorted, claws retracting.

Their dark eyes then turned to look up at her. Ruby could tell they were calculating everything, considering the consequences of Blake's suggestion, and weighing the severity of the possible outcomes. There was a high level of intelligence and understanding in those eyes that Ruby had never recognized before.

She blinked levelly at them, as not to appear neither timid nor aggressive to them. They blinked slowly in return, and turned their attention back to Blake.

Then, they stepped aside and vanished into the undergrowth.

Blake turned back to Ruby and beckoned her forward. Adjusting the basket on her arm, Ruby followed.

"It's just beyond here," Blake informed her.

It was only another minute before Blake halted and inclined her head forward. Ruby paused beside her and look ahead.

There was a small clearing with very few trees here. The main foliage were bushes - countless bundles of them - and when Blake urged her closer, she showed Ruby what she'd brought her here to see.

Tiny red berries filled every bush with vivid, overflowing color. Of the dozens of bushes, each was full of berries.

Ruby actually thought it was a little odd.

"This is what you wanted to show me?"

Blake nodded, crouching down beside the nearest bush.

"You've probably noticed not a single berry has been removed or eaten," she said. "In a forest full of hungry animals, surely you think that must be strange?"

Puzzled, Ruby nodded slowly.

"Yes... I'm assuming they're poisoned somehow?"

"Not at all." Blake plucked several berries off the bush and let them roll into her palm. Tilting her head back, she swallowed them all in one go. "They aren't toxic. In fact, they're filled with nutrients. But for whatever reason, none of the animals like the taste." She wiped her mouth over her sleeve and gave Ruby a tentative smile. "But humans do."

She pulled another berry off the bush and offered it to the huntress. Ruby put her picnic basket down and slowly reached out her palm as Blake rolled the berry into it.

Ruby hesitated a moment, but reminded herself she was here in the first place because she'd chosen to trust Blake.

So she popped the berry into her mouth and gave a few chews.

Instantly, she tasted a sweetness like no other starting to coat her tongue. It was thin and liquidy, and Ruby almost felt it was akin to a small sip of juice.

Blake watched her quietly, waiting for a reaction.

Ruby licked her lips.

"Wow. They're really good. I mean... _really_ good! But animals don't like them?"

"Only a few desperate birds or squirrels," Blake said. "But for the most part, these bushes are useless to the forest. The animals hate the smell of these berries. You'd be doing us a favor to use them, and surely the humans in the village would enjoy them as well. You could sell them for profit. Use them as a liquid, or as a paste-"

"Jam!" Ruby blurted out. "These would make a fantastic jam! Or juice! Or just simply taste good on their own! There are lots of possibilities."

Blake perked up at Ruby's enthusiasm and agreement to her proposal.

"And," she added. "They grow in every season, even winter."

Ruby's jaw dropped.

"Oh, wow. That's... that's incredible."

"I think the villagers will think so too," Blake agreed. "And... hopefully..." She trailed off, her eyes going to the grass.

Ruby smiled gently.

"Don't worry, Blake. I'm sure this will allow me to make a living. Even if I fall short, I'm giving you my word I'm giving up my life as a hunter. For good. I promise."

At those words, Blake lifted her head again.

That was all she'd wanted to hear.

The tears started falling, and Blake wiped them with a sigh.

"Thank you... Ruby."

"It's a promise," Ruby repeated. She extended her hand to Blake, chuckling a little when the other girl gave her a quizzical look.

"What's this?"

"A handshake!" Ruby declared. "It's one way we can seal the promise!"

Blake blinked, but now that she thought about it, she could recall seeing the gesture done between a pair of people in town a few times before.

She was about to raise her own hand when Ruby went on speaking.

"But..." she mumbled sadly. "I understand if you don't wanna touch me... after everything I've done." She lowered her hand remorsefully, her smile vanishing like sunlight at nightfall.

But Blake reached out and caught Ruby's hand, being careful not to dig her nails into the soft, white skin.

"No. Maybe you can't bring those wolves back... But you've amended, Ruby. Not many hunters would. Thank you for that."

Ruby straightened up a bit, relief spreading through her chest.

"No, thank _you_ , Blake. You were really brave to come speak to me today. You were probably a little scared, right?"

"Terrified," she admitted.

"But I'm glad you came to me!" Ruby went on. "Without you, who knows what else I might've... how many more I would've..." She shook her head. "Thank you for everything." She squeezed Blake's hand a little bit before letting go. "I'll take some of these berries back home with me today and I'll sell them next time I go into town."

She began plucking berries off the branches, making sure to leave a few on each branch so they may regrow faster. Blake helped her as well, dropping handfuls into Ruby's basket, onto the blanket on top so they wouldn't be crushed.

"And," Blake added. "The next time you want to come back here, just call out for me," she offered. "I'll come find you and lead you back to this spot. And I'll be passing on the news to the others. They don't have to attack you anymore. They don't have to fear you anymore."

"Definitely not!" Ruby agreed.

Once they had gathered a good amount of berries, the two girls stood. Blake started back the way they had come, and Ruby followed suit.

The journey back to the clearing was peaceful, and the few times Ruby stumbled, Blake even reached out to catch her.

Before today, she'd never really touched another human before, not even when she'd been younger and often played with them. Ruby's soft, creamy skin felt strangely pleasant but... _odd_ after so many years of only having touched the rough, dense fur of wolves.

Ruby thanked her every time with a smile.

When they eventually made it back to the clearing, evening was about to settle. Ruby scooped up her discarded knife and slid it back into her boot before going to Blake once more.

"Again, Blake. Thank you for coming to me today. All the wolves in the forest have you to thank, too. And..." Her eyes flashed downward again. "If it means anything at all... tell them I'm sorry."

Blake simply nodded, stepping forward and lightly brushing the side of her head to Ruby's, a display of affection amongst wolves.

"Thank you for hearing me out," she murmured.

It was then Ruby thought of something. She opened her basket once more and reached inside, careful not to disturb the berries they'd collected.

She wormed her fingers down to the bottom until she felt the napkin and pulled it up. Ruby unraveled it to reveal the two tiny chocolates she'd packed inside. She picked one up and held it out to Blake.

"Here! This will officially seal our promise."

Blake's eyes went wide, but she accepted the gift nonetheless.

"Thank you. But... what do you do with it?" She tossed the thing in the air a few times. "Is it a toy?"

Ruby laughed out loud.

"You eat it, silly!"

"A toy that you eat?"

"No, no!" she laughed again. "It's food! Chocolate!"

Blake tilted her head to one side curiously. The word sounded faintly familiar, and she realized that she must've heard it when in the village a few times prior.

Ruby held the other chocolate for herself and was about to remove the wrapper. But she paused when she saw that Blake had neglected to do so and was bringing the treat up to her lips.

"Wait, wait! You've gotta unwrap it first! You can't eat the crinkly part! Here, watch me."

Ruby demonstrated, unfurling the wrapping to reveal the treat inside.

Blake copied her, and Ruby took the trash and put it in her basket to dispose of later. Then she met Blake's eyes and smiled.

"To our promise!" she said.

Blake smiled back.

"Our promise."

They ate their chocolates in unison. Ruby hummed and squealed with delight at the taste, watching amusedly as Blake's eyes went round.

"Blake, pfft... is this the first time you've ever had chocolate?"

"Y-Yeah... I think it's even better than the berries..."

"Heehee, it is a rare delicacy! I'll buy some more with the money I make from the berries and I'll bring you a few pieces as thanks!"

She chuckled again when she saw the little spark of excitement in Blake's eyes.

Once they'd finished, the two girls stepped away from one another, back toward the directions of their respective homes.

"I'll come back after I've sold the berries," Ruby told her. "I'll call for you."

"Alright. I'll be waiting. And thank you again, Ruby."

Before the former huntress could repeat the words back to her, Blake had turned away and vanished into the shadows of the oncoming twilight.

Ruby bowed her head and took her leave, bound for home, a very different girl now than she'd been when she'd stepped out of her cabin door that morning.

* * *

Word traveled quickly around the village.

The Red Huntress had emptied her rifle and hung it up for good, selling her remaining rounds of bullets.

Instead of wolf pelts, she now brought jars of berries and jam to the market.

Many doubted that her change in product sales was a wise one, but one taste of those berries had them all asking for more.

Ruby made twice as much profit with the berries on her first day as she ever had with even her biggest wolf.

And she was certain to buy a few extra chocolates with the spoils.

The next time she left her cabin called softly out for Blake, the dark-haired girl hurried to Ruby and found her grinning and vibrant.

As Blake led her back to the berry bushes, Ruby told her of her success, insisting it was all thanks to Blake and her ingenious plan.

In turn, Blake passed on the news to her pack, and soon all other wolves in the forest.

The Red Huntress was no more, and not a drop of blood had been spilled in the process of having her willingly step down from her crimson throne.

In the village, people waited in long lines to purchase Ruby's newest products. But she was sure to only bring a certain amount every time she visited the market, wanting to keep it a special treat, not a common item.

Eventually, she started calling for Blake not in order to have the dark-haired girl guide her to the berry bushes, but simply because Ruby wanted to see her and talk to her.

Ruby bought her a new set of clothes and boots, and always offered a piece of chocolate as well.

Blake accepted the gifts with gratitude.

But more than anything, she was grateful for the memorial Ruby had built.

It was located at the heart of the forest in front of a large tree. Ruby had cut the wood of several dead logs and constructed a grave of sorts in honor of all the wolves she had killed in the past, lining the memorial with rocks and flowers.

The two of them passed it every time they went to gather berries.

It was a constant reminder that Ruby would never go back to her old life style.

It was a silent promise.

Night Scar and Aurora watched the two girls from afar every day. They'd noticed Blake's eagerness as she waited for Ruby's call every morning, and they recognized her zeal to go meet her.

One morning, after Blake had taken off at the sound of Ruby's call, Night Scar turned to his mate.

 _"It's best if she lives the life of a human. It's who she is, though she'll always have a wolf's spirit."_

His mate nodded and barked a small laugh.

 _"I never though I'd see the day my own daughter fell in love with a human. An ex-huntress, no less."_

It was certainly a peculiar story.

Over time, Ruby began to invite Blake into her home.

Initially, Blake had been timid about venturing inside the cabin.

But Ruby had coaxed her with calming words, and had made her feel welcomed and safe enough to quickly shake off the nervousness.

Ruby was a kind hostess to Blake. She prepared little snacks in the kitchen for her, brushed her hair for her, let her take baths in the tub, cooked her meals, and even read stories to her.

Blake liked that this place smelled like Ruby, liked the touch of Ruby's soft skin on hers, and liked the gentleness of Ruby's hands in her hair.

Some nights, Blake didn't return to the forest nor her pack to sleep in their den. More often than not, Ruby's soft mattress and warm scent enticed her enough to have her falling asleep on the bed and pillow.

Whenever that happened, Ruby would curl up beside her, more content than ever before.

. . .

A few weeks later, the day came when Blake went to her parents.

Confused and conflicted, she told them of her feelings for Ruby - the longing to be with her that she'd never experienced before, the desire to be with her that was different from any instinctive urge. She wept to them, uncertain of what to do.

But they gently accepted everything she told them, everything they already knew.

And yet, Blake was distraught.

"Mother... Father... I love you, but... I love her, too..."

The two old wolves shared a grunt of a laugh.

 _"Go to her, Blake,"_ her mother said. _"It's where you belong. It's clear to us how strongly you care for her, and she you."_

 _"Just be sure to visit the pack every so often,"_ Night Scar reminded her. _"Greet the new cubs in the spring. You'll always be a wolf at heart."_

Blake whimpered, but nodded and threw her arms around them, sobbing loudly. Then, she kissed each of their heads and stood.

"Thank you both. For _everything_."

They dipped their heads.

They let her go.

Blake was free.

She hurried away, back to where she'd asked Ruby to wait for her. When she saw her, Blake rushed to her and threw her arms around the girl, nuzzling emotionally into the side of her neck.

Ruby held her tightly, smiled, and kissed her cheek.

She took Blake home, and held her gingerly in her arms all night long.

* * *

The two girls were soon known as the most peculiar pair in all the lands.

The girl who'd been raised by wolves, and the girl who'd been raised to kill those wolves – deeply in love.

Blake accompanied Ruby to market, and the former huntress happily introduced her to the people she knew. Blake was always very timid around the villagers, and she was sure to keep close to Ruby.

The smaller girl always maintained a firm hold on Blake's hand, never letting go for so much as a second, ensuring Blake always felt safe and secure amongst so many strangers.

She showed Blake many things, including shops and places they could go to get a small bite to eat, as well as the stores that sold the best chocolates.

Some of the dogs the village people walked would often stray toward Blake, and initially she growled, fearing they'd smell the wolf on her and start a fight. But rather than react viciously, the animals always laid down in front of her or were happy to see her.

Blake's popularity with the animals brought Ruby great entertainment as well, and some days, they spent hours simply playing with and petting the passing dogs.

Since Blake had been invited to explore Ruby's world further with her, the former huntress was intent to do the same.

Ruby often accompanied Blake into the woods to visit her old pack.

She met Blake's adoptive parents, and though she couldn't speak to them as well as Blake could, Ruby felt she understood them all the same.

She even knelt down before them and bowed her head humbly, entirely exposed and vulnerable to them as she murmured heartfelt apologies for the lives she had stolen as a huntress.

Blake was tense as she watched her parents in that moment, knowing that they easily could have shredded Ruby to ribbons if they had wanted to.

But the elderly pair merely mimicked the girl and bowed their heads to her.

Blake knelt beside Ruby then and took her hand, silently reassuring her that she was forgiven.

The two wolves stepped up to Ruby, and pressed their noses to her shoulders and arms to have her sit up once more. There were human emotions in their eyes - grief and pain - but also acceptance, and most of all forgiveness.

Ruby burst into tears and threw her arms around the alpha wolf, whimpering over and over again that she was sorry. Blake heard her father grunt and sigh.

 _"You've really changed her, Blake. You've made her understand our pain enough to share the burden. I couldn't be more proud of you."_

Blake sniffled and wiped her eyes before draping an arm around Ruby's shivering shoulders.

"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay, Ruby. You're forgiven."

She kissed the girl's silky brown hair and turned her around. Ruby relinquished her hold on the wolf and clung to Blake instead, burying herself in her shirt as she wept.

The rest of the pack had gathered around and offered small yelps, both amazed and touched at the once-feared huntress' change in heart.

After that, they no longer ran in fear when Ruby entered the forest, nor did their hackles raise at the sight of her.

Ruby and Blake went for walks together - to roam the forests, to visit the graves, and to collect the berries. And often, there were wolves trotting beside them, or not too far away.

In the spring, the human pair met the newborn pups of Blake's pack as promised.

Blake took the liberty upon herself to teach Ruby how to play with them.

With the money Ruby received from selling the berries in town, she purchased meat for herself, but the leftovers she brought out for the pups as treats.

There were six of them this year, all scampering, healthy little things. They were naturally drawn to Blake, and once Ruby had earned their trust, they opted to play with her as well.

Blake taught them how to awkwardly crouch and pounce, and Ruby was often the target. Blake warned the pups to mind their claws and teeth while practicing on Ruby, but even the few times the girl received an accidental scratch or two, Blake made sure to kiss them better.

One particular day of pounce training left Ruby beneath a pile of six hyper puppies, yipping and barking as they got tangled in her cloak.

"Ahhh!" Ruby shouted playfully. "They got me! I'm down! So... vicious..." Dramatically, she flopped down into the grass as the pups rolled on top of her excitedly.

Blake chuckled and plucked them off one by one before sending them back to their parents.

She hovered over Ruby until the girl sensed her presence and opened her silver eyes.

"Those kids are getting good!" Ruby grinned.

"I'll say."

Blake didn't help her up just yet, but instead finished where the pups had left off.

She pinned Ruby down by the wrists and nuzzled into her chest affectionately. Ruby giggled and wiggled beneath her.

"Blake, that ti-tickles..."

Blake pulled back and stared down at her with mischievous golden eyes.

"Oh, really?"

She released Ruby's hands only to dive in with a full-on attack now, running her fingers all up and down the girl's body. Ruby squealed and shrieked, thrashing about in the grass and begging for mercy, shrieks that went in one of Blake's ears and out the other.

It reminded Blake of her own childhood, playing with the other pups in the pack.

Blake bent down and nipped Ruby's ear playfully, wrestling her to prevent her from reversing their positions. Blake kept herself in an advantageous pose, continuing her attack until Ruby was too weak to resist.

Only then did Blake settle down, resting on top of the smaller girl for a moment, peppering her face with sweet kisses. She then rolled over onto her back, keeping Ruby on top of her chest as they both caught their breath.

"No fair~" Ruby whined. "You've spent your whole life wrestling wolves, so of course you'd win!"

Blake simply smirked and strained up to kiss her nose.

As they calmed down, Ruby laid her head over Blake's heartbeat, listening quietly. It thumped consistently and at a slow, steady pace, matching Blake's deep, even breaths.

It was comforting beyond explanation to Ruby - to be able to hold Blake like this and to be held by her, to be so close to her heart, to know she herself had a part in its every beat.

She didn't see her sister much anymore, and until she'd met Blake, Ruby had spent every night alone, every day growing more and more distant from her own humanity without anyone to share it with.

Her simple interactions with the villagers hadn't been enough. _Blake_ had been the one to stave off her descent into turning cold and distant from all others.

Blake might've been a wolf at heart, but she was who made Ruby human.

So Ruby listened to that heartbeat for a long while, quietly recording its sound and committing it to memory.

The spring evening was warm and the breeze was soft, and Blake's touch was tender against her back.

That night, they rested out under the stars together, listening to the songs of the wolves rise up to the crescent moon above.

Blake gave a small howl of her own, and though it came from a human throat, Ruby could hardly tell the difference from those of the wolves'. She too gave a little "Woooo~", playfully nuzzling Blake's neck before the mock howl died away into a giggle.

"Not bad," Blake chuckled, hugging the girl closer still.

They stared at the moon for a while, marveling at the winking stars.

Time meant nothing to them for a long while.

Once they started feeling a little sleepy, Blake gingerly rolled them both over, bracing her weight on her forearms as she gazed down at her once-forbidden lover. She kissed Ruby wholly, making sure not to nip as the life of a wolf might have wanted her too.

Ruby's hands slid up behind her neck, threading through her onyx hair as she sighed – sheer bliss.

Everything about their relationship seemed forbidden in one way or another, and yet here they were without a care in the world.

Blake pulled back and laid back down beside her lover, curling Ruby into her side. It was a little chilly, so Ruby shifted a bit and draped her red cloak around Blake's shoulders before kissing her softly once more.

The scent of velvety roses wreathed around Blake, filling her lungs and settling around her heartbeat. Ruby snuggled close to her to listen to that wonderful sound again. It was quiet but wild, not unlike Blake herself, a perfect contrast to Ruby's faster, louder pulse.

When they were pressed together like this, there was no better feeling in the world – they were certain of it.

"I love you, Blake," Ruby reminded her.

Blake kissed her hair.

"I love you, Ruby."

Once the quiet reminders had been brushed away by the nighttime breeze, the two girls peacefully drifted off into slumber beside one another, just as they had in past weeks, and would for countless weeks to come.

There had truly never been a more peculiar pair - two who had given up the only lives they'd ever known for one another.

And in wake of such sacrifice and change, they had found understanding, peace, and love.

* * *

 **A/N: Thus concludes Ruby's and Blake's fairytale! When I was first thinking up ideas for this AU, I thought of their's first and foremost. I just loved the idea of a 'ruthless' huntress like Ruby finding her humanity by falling in love with a girl raised by wolves. I hope you could understand my meaning with the events of this story.**

 **This was Ruby's fairytale chapter, so going in order, next is Weiss'!**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. The Princess And The Knight

**This chapter is Weiss' fairytale, and it's loosely based off Snow White and various other princess tales.**

 **This is the "winter" chapter.**

 **A t** **hank you to arulaen!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2.

The Princess And The Knight

She lived in a castle of white.

Large marble pillars and walls rose up on all sides, to keep her trapped.

Her father reigned over every aspect of her life, as well as her sister's.

Weiss and Winter often saw one another, but were forbidden to converse. Their father had ordered as much.

Every time Weiss saw her younger sister, she only worried for her.

Winter's hair had once been as pure white as her own. But in recent months, it had started to turn grey, her lilac dress had grown too loose for her, and the color had begun to drain from her eyes.

She was tiring of their father's ruthless ruling, keeping them like slaves to clean every inch of the castle on a daily basis.

She couldn't say as much, but Weiss worried for her sister very deeply.

It was after one day when Winter had collapsed during her work that Weiss had rushed to her, forced to swallow words of comfort, lest the sisters have to face their father's wrath. Weiss could only look down at her, smiling faintly past the tears, trying to convey her determination to get them both out of here someday, somehow.

Weiss had never been so driven to escape before, but now her younger sister truly needed her.

She brought Winter to bed and had her rest for the remainder of the day. She kissed her sister's feverish forehead, a silent promise that she would take care of everything.

After leaving her sister's room, Weiss set to work on finishing her chores. She now needed to complete Winter's share as well, because if the castle wasn't immaculate by the end of each day, both of them would be punished and denied supper.

Weiss treaded lightly as she moved through the halls, alert for telltale sounds of her father being nearby. He tended to spend most of his time in his quarters, counting and recounting his hoard of money, like an old dragon.

Seeing no sign of him now, Weiss pulled the wash rag from the pocket of her tattered brown apron, an article that was an ugly contrast to the pretty blue dress underneath.

But she had been forced to wear the apron every day of her life ever since her mother had passed away two years ago. Ever since she had died, her husband's character had changed - drastically.

He had become obsessed with money and vanity, and cared more for such things rather than his own children. He had made his daughters slaves, neglecting them of warmth or compassion. And now he'd gone so far as to cause his youngest to fall ill.

Weiss realized she was biting her lip in frustration, clutching her rag in her hand so tightly her nails dug through it and into her own palm.

She quickly shook her head and loosened her grip. Now was no time to display her anger. If she let such negative emotions get the better of her, she'd only be consumed by them, and her sister needed her help right now.

Instead, Weiss set to humming softly as she started to clean, dusting off shelves and whatever statues her father had purchased with his wealth.

Weiss had started in the spot where Winter had left off; if her father came by to inspect their work, she wanted her sister's section to be finished, lest he seek Winter out, find her bedridden, and punish her for laziness.

Weiss didn't want to think about what could happen to them if he got angry again.

The last time it had happened, he had broken a mirror with his own fist and come at the two girls in a fit of rage. Weiss had shielded her sister with her own body, and her father had struck her across her left eye with a shard of glass.

At the time, it had bled deep scarlet, and her father had disgustedly told them both to leave his quarters after cleaning up the blood.

Winter had tended to her sister in sobs that night, frantically pressing clothes to her eye to stop the bleeding. By some miracle, Weiss hadn't lost the vision in her left eye, but now a disconcerting pink scar ran over the soft white skin of her cheek.

As she cleaned the marble pillars now, Weiss could see its reflection in them, and she cut off her song abruptly as she looked away. Weiss rubbed the back of her hand over the scar, wishing it would simply wipe off, but it never did.

But again, she remembered that her little sister was depending on her; this was no time for self-pity.

Weiss worked efficiently and painstakingly, making sure she cleaned Winter's section of the white marble castle thoroughly; once they had each finished cleaning for the day, they were allowed to go back to their room and do whatever they pleased until nightfall.

Therefore, if Winter's section of the castle was cleaned properly, her father wouldn't ask questions as to why she had retired to bed early.

Luckily, Weiss didn't get caught cleaning Winter's part – if she had been, he would have demanded answers from her.

About two hours after she had brought Winter to bed, Weiss finally got back to cleaning her own section of the castle. She had done a lot of it before Winter's collapse, and now only had the foyer and courtyard remaining.

But the courtyard was large and being it was outside, it always collected much dirt and dust, and would take a while for one girl to clean.

Weiss had just been finishing the foyer, circling her rag over a small glass table when she heard heavy footsteps. She quickly ceased her humming and straightened up, though she didn't stop cleaning until he addressed her. His voice was low, like a wolf's growl, but she had more or less gotten used to it by now.

"Where's the other one?" he snapped.

That was what made Weiss flinch.

Not the tone of his voice, but the words he chose to speak, how he never called his daughters by name, or even acknowledged they were human beings.

But Weiss couldn't allow her discomfort to show.

She continued cleaning as she addressed him, not look directly at his eyes; he had ordered her never to do so since she had gotten that scar.

"She's in her room," Weiss answered. "She's finished her cleaning for the day."

"And why haven't you?" he growled.

Weiss made sure to keep her voice level despite the growing fear in her chest, spreading like numerous vines of twisted thorns.

"I discovered a nest of mice in the west wing. It took a while to get rid of them," she lied.

She heard her father's snort of disgust.

"Save the courtyard for tomorrow then. Make sure you clean the west wing again."

"Yes, Father."

With that, he turned away and headed off.

Weiss listened to the sounds of his boots as he ascended the staircase that led to his quarters.

Winter was safe for today.

But Weiss wasn't sure about tomorrow.

She intended to nurse her sister back to health to the best of her abilities tonight, but if Winter wasn't better by tomorrow, they would both be in potential danger.

Again, Weiss needed to perish the thoughts for the moment.

She focused on the favorable news instead, that she'd been relieved of cleaning the courtyard today. Instead, she was sure to scurry back to the west wing and clean it again; though she hadn't truly found any mice there, she needed to make sure she followed her father's orders.

After that, she headed to the kitchen on the lower floor.

The only other person who lived in the mansion was a woman with dark, ashen hair. She wore a red dress and always prepared the family meals.

Her name was Cinder, and Weiss suspected she was her father's mistress, and had been for some time. Cinder hardly cared for Weiss and her sister, but she at least gave them food at the designated times of day.

Upon entering the kitchen, Weiss was more than relieved to discover tonight's meal was hot soup. She dipped her head to Cinder who scowled in return, nodding to two small bowls she had prepared, indicating for Weiss to take them.

Weiss did as much, leaving Cinder without a word; the woman was still preparing her father's meal, likely one they would share later tonight in his quarters.

Weiss hurried out of the kitchen and went back to the foyer, making certain not to spill a single drop of the soup. Each bowl was measly, filled less than halfway up, but at least there were chopped vegetables sprinkled in.

Weiss went to the staircase that would take her to the second floor; her father was on the third floor, and he rarely ventured downstairs unless it was to check their cleaning. He'd done that for today, so Weiss was certain she could relax for the rest of the evening.

She hurried to Winter's room, finding her sister just as she'd left her earlier, in a restless slumber. Weiss placed the bowls of soup on a little table nearby and sat on the edge of her sister's bed, shaking her shoulder gently to rouse her.

Now that she knew her father wouldn't hear, Weiss spoke softly to her sister for the first time in days.

"Winter... I've brought you soup." Weiss found her sister was shivering, and she gently helped her sit up, keeping one arm around her.

Winter moaned tiredly, her dark azure eyes fluttering open.

"Weiss... I'm cold..."

"Let me help."

Weiss took the spoon from one of the bowls of soup and blew on it a little before offering it to her sister. Winer sipped it slowly, shivering a bit more, and Weiss kept her close.

She continued to feed her sister until one of the bowls was empty. Weiss even gave Winter half of her own soup, making sure she got the majority of the nutrients from the vegetables.

Winter then sighed and looked up at Weiss.

"Thank you, Weiss. Have you eaten already?"

"Yes," Weiss said with a smile. "Now you should rest. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, alright?"

Nodding, Winter closed her eyes, and Weiss laid her back down in bed.

Weiss tucked her in beneath the only blanket she had, and then stood and went to the windows, making sure they were all sealed as to not let any drafts slip in.

By the time she returned to the bed, Winter was asleep. Weiss bent down to kiss her forehead, running a hand through her soft grey hair that just passed her shoulders.

"I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," she vowed. "I promise I'll keep you safe."

And yet, as Weiss picked up the empty soup bowls and retreated to her own room, she hadn't the slightest idea as to how she would keep that promise.

* * *

After she'd let the girl take the bowls of soup, Cinder returned to cooking the meat she'd been preparing.

Her lover was a gluttonous man, both for food and for money, and Cinder had to admit she rather favored those qualities.

Once the food was finished, she placed it on a platter and lined it with vegetables, covering it with a lid to keep it warm as she carried it up the stairs to his quarters. She found him there gazing into the glass of a large mirror.

Cinder recalled how he'd broken the previous one; but this one was new, a special order – it was enchanted with magics.

Cinder placed the food down on his desk and glided across the room to him, ensnaring him in an embrace, breathing a greeting into his ear.

He grinned and told her to wait for him a moment.

Obediently, Cinder stepped back and watched him in front of the mirror as he spoke to it.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the richest of them all?" he asked.

Cinder purred; she loved his vanity, too. Of course the mirror would respond with his name – after all, he had all the riches in the land.

And yet, the voice that responded gave a horrifying answer.

" _Weiss Schnee..._ " it said. "She is the richest of them all."

Cinder's eyes widened with interest.

But the man before her only bellowed in rage.

"WHAT?! That little wretch? How is it possible?" With a snarl, he turned away from the mirror and instead looked to Cinder. "Get rid of her," he commanded. "You can do it, can't you?"

Cinder felt her red lips curling into a smirk.

"Consider it done, m'lord."

She left him for the moment to return to the kitchen downstairs.

There, she pulled forth two apples – one red and one green. She slipped the green one into place on the windowsill untouched, but lifted the red one into her palm.

He had asked her to perform this task because he knew she was well-versed in dark magics.

Cinder muttered a wicked spell, one that poisoned the juices of the apple in her palm. She watched as a small black haze encompassed the fruit. Once the spell was completed, she left it on the window sill beside the other apple, and returned to her lover's quarters.

There, she explained her tactics to him.

"Can the spell be broken?" he asked of her.

Cinder tilted her chin to one side.

"Every spell can be broken," she drawled. "But the thing to break this one shan't ever happen."

The greedy man turned to look back at his mirror and laughed harshly.

"Good."

* * *

The next morning, Weiss woke early, changed into her blue dress, tied on her apron, and ventured to Winter's room.

Her sister woke at her entry, and Weiss urged her to keep quiet.

"How are you feeling?" Weiss whispered. "You still look ill."

"I'll be fine."

But Winter's reassuring words were shattered almost instantly by a pained bout of coughs.

Weiss hushed her gently and pulled her into an embrace.

"You just rest for today. I'll clean up everything, alright?"

Winter moaned feebly in protest.

"It's too much..."

"I'll get started early. Don't worry. I'll finish your part first and tell father you've done your work and gone to your room." She kissed Winter's forehead again, and slipped out of the room before her sister could stop her.

Weiss had sipped down the last of the soup last night, but she couldn't bother wasting time for breakfast this morning; she needed to set to work right away.

And yet, she hadn't even been near the kitchen when she ran into Cinder.

Weiss instantly feared she'd been discovered, and she racked her brain for some kind of explanation.

But the woman only smiled kindly and reached into a pocket of her dress, revealing two apples to her.

"Dear girl," she husked. "You mustn't skip breakfast."

She offered Weiss the apples.

Slowly, cautiously, Weiss reached out her hand.

Cinder placed both apples into her palm.

"The green one is better suited to your sister's tastes. The red one is for you, my dear."

And with that, she turned away, and headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

Weiss watched her go before glancing to the fruit in her palm. The apples were clearly fresh and certainly smelled enticing.

But she couldn't waste the time to eat now or bring them to Winter.

So for now, Weiss simply rolled one into each of her apron's pockets before she set to work once more.

She cleaned what Winter was supposed to clean first, making sure to get in between and around every nook and cranny. She worked with unflagging determination, never slowing her pace, intent to finish before her father found her cleaning the wrong parts of the castle.

Hours passed, and every second Weiss was terrified she'd be discovered.

But eventually, she got to cleaning her own parts of the castle, having finished Winter's share.

That was when she encountered her father, and she told him exactly what she'd told him yesterday, that Winter had already finished.

He snorted as he glared down at her.

"That one's a keeper. She works quickly. However, _you_ seem to be becoming quite useless as of late," he noted before turning away.

Weiss remembered to breathe once he'd gone, though her stomach was growling and she felt dizzy.

She recalled the apples in her pocket – she planned to give Winter the green one once Weiss herself had finished cleaning the courtyard.

It was a daunting task - one that would take a great deal of effort - and Weiss held off taking a bite of her own apple until later.

For now, she made her way toward the doors, sliding them open and stepping out into the crisp winter air. It soothed her lungs that ached from overuse, and that moment was the first break she'd taken in several hours.

She stood atop a small balcony of white marble, and Weiss quickly cleaned off the railing before making her way down a small flight of stairs. She turned around every few steps to clean them all before reaching the ground.

White castle walls rose up around her on all sides, and in between them lay a stretch of the one-acre courtyard. The ground was flat and mostly covered in white stones, save for a few small patches of grass and garden.

That was why the courtyard took so much time and effort to clean.

Weiss knelt down and set to work, running her rag over the stones and clearing them of dust.

As she worked, she pushed and gathered the dirt and dust to the righthand side of the courtyard where a steep incline led down to a chain-link fence. That was where she needed to deposit the dust, and the winds would then carry it through the holes in the fence and to the forest beyond.

Her father had riches beyond compare, and yet he never hired other servants to clean for him, never purchased his daughters brooms to clean with. His greed had all but consumed him, and he kept every coin for himself.

Weiss tried to distract herself from the backbreaking nature of the work at had.

At least out here, she didn't have to resort to humming, but rather she could let out her voice.

She sang soft words, her voice gliding along the air smoothly, although at times she was interrupted by a grunt of effort or two.

Whenever she sang, the birds started to sing a little as well, and the whole world seemed to be at peace for just a few moments.

However, with the combination of the cold, dry winter air and the physical exertion of already having cleaned most of the castle by herself, it was only moments before Weiss was sweating, struggling to push the dirt across the white stones without losing too much of it along the way.

She panted as she looked back on what she had cleaned, and then to what she had yet to touch. The latter was substantially larger.

The only blessings she ever got were the few times per year when it snowed, because then she was not required to clean the courtyard until after it had melted.

But though the air was frigid today, she received no such blessing.

At least, not in the form of snow.

* * *

The young knight watched her breath puff up in front of her, a tiny cloud of white in comparison to the steam her chestnut-colored horse was producing.

It was certainly cold out today, and the girl pulled her red cloak tighter over her shoulders and back to preserve what little warmth it offered her.

Her name was Ruby Rose, and she was no greenhorn of a knight, but this _was_ her first time being dispatched on a mock journey to a neighboring kingdom.

It was only a test to see how quickly she could get there.

Keeping her horse at a trot, she should arrive by sunset, and if she went at a gallop, she could make it in half the time.

But this was her first journey alone, and she hardly remembered the way, so she kept her horse at a leisurely pace; if she felt she wouldn't make it in time, she was to go back to the training grounds and try again tomorrow.

But Ruby was nothing if not a determined girl who was eager to prove herself. Even though she knew she had strayed from the path and was now undoubtedly lost in a foreign forest, she didn't falter in her course.

"All I have to do is keep going forward," she reminded herself. "I'll just get out of these woods and then I can assess where I am and what to do from there!"

Her mishap hadn't disheartened her in the slightest, though the cold was getting to her a little bit. The forest was thick with trees, and that fortunately broke up the wind and kept it from assaulting her too much.

Ruby pulled up the hood of her cloak as she continued to ride, eyes alert for any indication of where she might be, but she saw no familiar landmarks. Her mare snorted and tossed her head. Ruby patted her shoulder.

"C'mon, just a little further. If we can't find something in the next five minutes, we'll turn around and head back, okay?"

They continued onward through the silent forest, the only sound being the consistent clomp of the horse's hooves.

But before very much longer, Ruby could decipher the sound of lively birdsong.

And then there was... something _else_.

A voice was singing somewhere up ahead, echoing out on the air. She was still too far away to make out the words, but Ruby knew it wasn't a figment of her imagination.

She coaxed her mare into a trot, following the sound hastily lest it should disappear.

It wasn't long before Ruby caught sight of a small castle, the lower half of it blocked off and shielded behind tall white walls. Her mentors had never told her of such a castle, and Ruby briefly pondered why that was, until she reached the wall.

She could decipher the words of the other person's song now, and determined that the one singing was likely female.

Perhaps Ruby could inquire for directions?

She brought her horse around, keeping close to the wall and seeking some entryway of sorts, but she could find none. She headed back toward where the voice seemed to be coming from, and Ruby dismounted promptly. She tied her horse's reins to a tree branch and let the mare graze.

Ruby went to the white wall constructed of painted bricks. She reached up to find a place to slide her fingers into, then sought out footholds that would support her weight.

In her younger years, she had climbed many trees and mountains with her sister, so scaling this wall wasn't much of a challenge.

She paused once her hands grazed the top of the wall, and Ruby cautiously lifted her chin up over it to assess what was beyond.

There was a large enclosed area consisting mainly of open space and white stone, with a bit of grass here and there.

The source of the lovely voice was a girl in a light blue dress. Her back was to Ruby, allowing the knight to see the cascade of loose alabaster hair all down her back, a purer white than any of the polished stones here.

A dusty old apron was tied around her stomach, and she was slaving away with a single rag to clean the stone floor.

Ruby had to wonder if she was a servant; she certainly didn't _look_ like one in that dress.

Cautiously, she lifted herself up over the fence and dropped down onto the stone floor below with a light thud. She cleared her throat and called out softly.

"Greetings, m'lady!"

. . .

Weiss knew she should have been saving her breath for the task at hand, and was about to stop singing to preserve precious energy.

But rather than a pleasing decrease in volume as she ended the song, she cut off abruptly when she heard a loud sound coming from behind her.

At first she'd thought it was her father, and Weiss was frightened as to why he might be here at such an hour.

But when she scrambled to turn around, Weiss looked up to find an unfamiliar face grinning back at her.

It was a young girl, perhaps only a few years shy of Weiss' own age. She was dressed in a knight's uniform, but not the heavily-armored kind. Rather, the kind that was more akin to a suit - the vest, shirt, and pants of an envoy rather than a warrior. A small sword sat in a belt on her hip, and a bright red cloak sat on her shoulders and fluttered behind her on the breeze.

Startled, Weiss pushed herself to her feet. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen an outsider. And yet the first words out of her mouth weren't nervous, but outraged.

"You _dolt!_ " she barked. "I just cleaned there! Now I've got to do it all over again!"

The knight jumped a bit in surprise and instantly bowed her head in shame.

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I just wanted to get over this wall to talk to someone and I wasn't thinking about where I'd be landing." The girl put a hand behind her head and smiled sheepishly.

Weiss groaned, but quickly realized the imminent danger at hand.

"Never mind that! Who are you? What brings you here? Actually, never mind any of that either! Get out of here _this instant!_ If my father catches you-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second!" The knight held up her hands to slow her down.

Weiss' hands went to her hips, a scowl covering her face.

The other girl swiftly straightened her posture to stand at attention, and she dipped her upper body into a formal bow.

"My deepest apologies for trespassing! But I've lost my way and I heard you singing and I just..." But the girl trailed off as she looked Weiss over a little bit better. She seemed to have lost her initial train of thought as she lifted herself back up. "You... does your father make you wear that icky apron and clean all the time?"

Weiss huffed impatiently.

"That doesn't matter. Just tell me what you came here for so you can get-"

But she cut herself off before she could finish, an idea hatching in her mind.

This could be her chance...

Weiss glared across the space separating herself from the other girl.

"You... what is your name?"

The knight perked up.

"Me? My name's Ruby Rose! Envoy-in-training for the kingdom of Vale! I'm supposed to be-"

"Do you have a horse with you?" Weiss demanded.

"Huh? Uh, yeah. I left her on the other side of the wall."

"...Do you know how to get back to your kingdom?"

"Yeah! All I'd have to do would be to go back the way I came! I'm having trouble going forward but not back!"

Weiss pondered for a moment before making her decision, hasty as it might've been. She strode forward toward Ruby, halting only a foot or so away from her now.

"Please hear me out," she said in a low voice. "My father has been keeping my sister and I as slaves for years now. She fell ill the other night and I fear for her life. If this continues, we'll both end up dead before another year is up. I'm desperate enough to beg you to take her to safety."

Overwhelmed, Ruby blinked and took a step back.

"Wh-What? Your dad's keeping you as slaves? He's got this huge castle but he won't even hire a doctor for you?"

"No. He's obsessed with his money. He no longer cares for us or anyone else. Only himself." Weiss met Ruby's strange silver eyes. "Which is why I'm begging you, Ruby Rose. Please help us."

"O-Of course I will!" she gasped. "B-But my horse can only carry two at a time."

"That's fine," Weiss said. "Just take my sister."

"But what about you?" Ruby protested.

"It doesn't matter what becomes of me."

"Yes it does!" Ruby realized she'd raised her voice and quickly covered her mouth.

Weiss flinched, and her eyes instantly went to the castle, fearing her father might have heard. She looked back to Ruby sharply. Weiss inhaled a deep breath.

"Alright then. I'll bring you my sister now and you take her somewhere safe. Preferably back to your kingdom. She's ill and needs warmth and shelter. Only if you have the time and energy should you come back for me."

Ruby's eyes were intense as she nodded.

"Of course I will. I'll take my sister's horse the second time around so we'll be faster."

Weiss was about to ask Ruby to wait for her as she went to fetch Winter, but then something stopped her.

This all seemed far too easy.

She turned stern blue eyes back to Ruby's eager silver ones.

"But... how can I trust you won't hurt her?" she mumbled. "How can I trust you'll truly do as I ask and take her somewhere safe? I want to have faith in you more than anything else. But I've never even met you before..."

Ruby paused, her expression becoming one of seriousness as she tried to think of a way to prove herself.

"I'm a sister, too," she said softly. "I understand how tough it must be for you. But I _really_ do fully intend to help the both of you escape this place. I swear it on my own life, and my sister's life as well. That's how serious I am." Ruby put a hand to her breast and bowed deeply before Weiss.

The white-haired girl nearly took a step back; the knight's honesty was palpable in the air, and to make such a vow on the life of her own sister...

She was about to grunt and inform Ruby she had gained Weiss' trust, but the brunette wanted to make absolutely certain.

Straightening up, Ruby reached up to her throat and began untying her red cloak. Once it was free, she folded it neatly and placed it onto the ground in front of her.

Next, she started to unbutton her vest and remove that as well, leaving her in only a long-sleeved white undershirt. She folded that too and laid it down over her cloak.

Weiss was about to shout at her and demand to know what she was doing.

But then she felt she knew what this was. She'd read it in an old book before.

For a knight of any kind to shed their vest or armor and lay it on the ground before them was a sign of the utmost trust in another party. It was a sign that they were defenseless and lying down their profession for the sake of another person.

Ruby had never performed this act before, but she knew she wanted to do it for Weiss.

The final step was literally that – a step.

She stepped over the pile of shed clothes, moving closer to Weiss in the process. This conveyed that she had put her precious job as a knight behind her, left it as an option and put Weiss as a priority.

Weiss was speechless, her jaw hanging down as Ruby bowed to her again.

"I swear to you, Weiss. I'll do everything within my power to help both you and your sister. I swear on my honor as a knight of the Kingdom of Vale, on my own life, and on my sister's. I'll help you."

There was nothing more Weiss could question or doubt about this girl now. She closed her mouth and dipped her head to Ruby.

"Then... you have my trust, Ruby," she murmured.

But she couldn't help but remember what else she'd read about a knight performing such an act to another.

"Ruby... you do realize... what you've just done is..."

Ruby flashed her eyes back up at Weiss, down to her discarded clothes, and then back again.

"Oh yeah! Usually when a knight removes their armor and puts it on the ground and steps over it they're only doing it to propose to someone-" Her voice cut off immediately as her eyes went wide. It was Ruby's turn to drop her jaw, and her face went redder than it had due to any chilled breeze. "O-Oh gosh, um-!"

But Weiss spared her the trouble.

Instead, the white-haired girl leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

Ruby's blush only spread and deepened.

"I-I u-um..."

"Alright then," Weiss said, clearing her throat. "As I said before, you've got my utmost trust, Ruby. I'll fetch my sister now so please wait here if you would. And put your clothes back on before you freeze to death."

"R-Right," Ruby stuttered, her fingers lifting to her cheek where those cool lips had made contact. "Ah, Weiss? M-May I... do the same for you? To return the action and confirm our trust?"

She was asking both as a knight _and_ as a girl.

Weiss offered a faint smile.

"Later," she promised. "After all of this has ended."

Ruby smiled and nodded swiftly.

With that, Weiss turned and rushed back to the castle, across the stone of the courtyard that was already cleaned. She hurried inside and then up the staircase to the second floor, but still made sure to be cautious and listen for sounds of Cinder or her father.

Weiss wasn't intercepted, and she reached Winter's room without a hitch. Slipping inside, she went to her sister's bed to find her in an uneasy sleep. Weiss shook her shoulder gently.

"Winter?" Weiss waited until the girl moaned and opened her dark blue eyes before continuing. "I'm getting you out of here. Right now."

Without another word, Weiss scooped her weak sister up into her arms, albeit with some effort. Winter whimpered in surprise.

"What? But how?" she asked, clinging to Weiss' neck.

Weiss tried to keep things short and simple as she headed out of the room.

"A traveling knight has come along. I've determined that I can trust her, and she agrees to take you to safety."

Weiss paused when she reached the top of the stairs. She peered over Winter's head and took the first step down, her balance wavering as she slumped against the wall.

Her sister's weight was making her arms tremble. Weiss briefly recalled that fact that she'd been working the entire day, had barely slept a wink last night, and hadn't eaten a proper meal since yesterday morning.

But she persevered, huffing with effort as she descended the next step, then the next.

Winter swallowed and clung tighter to her sister's shoulder, confused and scared in her arms.

"You're coming too, right?"

Weiss paused again for breath.

"With any luck, yes," she murmured.

She needed to move with painstaking slowness down the stairs, her priority being Winter's safety above all else.

But she couldn't shake the sense of dread that was swirling about the atmosphere now. It was in every breath she swallowed, and every second that passed was another one close to their being apprehended.

Every click of her shoes on the marbled floors echoed around the castle, and Weiss struggled desperately to keep her labored breaths as quiet as possible. She kept herself alert for any sounds that might suggest someone else's approach; if such a thing were to happen, she'd be forced to make Winter stand on her own, and teetering in the middle of the staircase while ill didn't seem like a good endeavor for her.

Weiss pressed onward, leaning herself heavily against the wall for support. She could sense Winter's worry for her even before she spoke.

"Weiss..."

"Hush." Weiss pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before continuing to move down the stairs.

They only had several steps to go now, and in hear eagerness to hurry over them, Weiss very nearly fell. One foot twisted slightly, and she needed to bite her lip to stifle a cry of pain as her nails dug into Winter's dress.

The younger sister started to sob softly at Weiss' pain, but the eldest of the two ignored it.

At last, they reached level ground once more, and Weiss paused to catch her breath. She tested her right foot, but pain shot through it whenever she made it bear weight.

But even so she didn't stop, hurrying to the balcony and shoving the door open with her shoulder.

Once outside, she pulled Winter closer to her to conserve any warmth between them. She turned to the dozen steps that led from the balcony platform down to the stone ground of the courtyard.

But after only the first step, she yelped aloud as the pain in her foot increased tenfold. Eyes closed in agony, Weiss slumped against the castle's wall, making sure not to lose grip on Winter.

Evidently, Ruby had noticed her plight and quickly hurried over to them.

Weiss reopened her eyes to find the knight had redressed herself and was presently rushing up the steps to them.

"Let me take her," Ruby insisted.

Weiss hesitated a moment, searching the girl's silver eyes.

Then, she transferred Winter into Ruby's sturdier arms.

But she didn't miss her sister's little whimper of fear.

"It's alright," Weiss reassured her. "This... is the knight I told you about. Her name's Ruby and she's... promised to help us." Weiss fought for breath and wiped a hand over her brow.

Ruby knew instantly something was amiss.

"Weiss, what's wrong?"

The girl in Ruby's arms answered for her.

"She hurt herself carrying me..."

Weiss flinched when Ruby's concerned gaze went back to her.

"I'm fine... just... take her, please..."

Conflicted, Ruby paused another moment before she turned around and hurried down the steps.

Weiss followed much more slowly after her, leaning against the castle all the while. She was forced to limp without its support after she'd reached level ground.

She followed Ruby across the white stone ground and over to the far wall where the knight had first jumped down. There, Ruby let Winter down, and her eyes met those of both sisters.

"Now comes the hard part," the knight said. "I can't carry you while climbing. You'll have to climb up yourself." She looked pointedly at Winter. "Can you do that?"

The grey-haired girl looked to her sister first, then back to the knight.

"I... think so..."

Ruby offered a kind smile.

"Okay. I'll help you."

Winter nodded, but before they could begin, Weiss beckoned her closer. She kissed the crown of her sister's head and sighed.

"You're going to make it out of here. No matter what happens, just remember I love you."

Winter bit her lip and threw her arms around Weiss in a tight hug.

"Thank you for all you've done for me, Weiss. I'll wait for you to join me in a world where we are free."

They parted, and Weiss felt as though a great warmth had left her.

Ruby began instructing Winter how to grip the wall. She knew all the perfect places to be stepping into or holding onto, and Weiss was incredulous that she could tell so easily.

The eldest sister kept watching the castle, but there were no sounds of movement or flashes of motion from within that she could decipher.

With Ruby's guidance, Winter had soon managed to get a few feet off the ground, and the knight climbed up beside her. More often than not, the brunette kept grip with just one hand and used the other to point out the spots Winter should hold onto.

Weiss got beneath her sister and pressed a hand to her back to keep her steady, and she did so until Winter was too high up for her to touch any longer.

She waited tensely until Ruby had guided her sister to the top of the wall, and only when Winter had finally scrambled up to the top did Weiss remember how to breathe again.

Ruby pulled herself up as well before slipping her legs over the other side.

"I'll jump down first, and then I'll catch you when you come down, alright?"

Winter nodded.

"O-Okay."

"Wait."

Before either of them could move, Weiss gained their attention once more, and both of them looked down to her. She slipped a hand into the right pocket of her apron and pulled out the green apple she'd been carrying all day. Her eyes met Winter's.

"You haven't eaten yet today. Take it."

She tossed the fruit up, and Winter caught it carefully.

"Thank you, Weiss. I'll be waiting for you."

Then, Winter untied the ever-present apron from around her waist. She released it, and let it drop down to the courtyard ground, revealing her lovely lilac dress in full.

She was free of this life.

Weiss smiled.

Ruby was smiling as well as she watched the exchange between the two of them. She then met Weiss' mist-blue gaze.

"Weiss, you should go back inside. It's getting dark."

But Weiss shook her head.

"I can't. I don't want to risk the stairs again. Besides, if my father discovered me inside again, he'd assume I was finished cleaning the courtyard. If he came to check and found it unfinished-"

"I get it," Ruby stopped her, frowning as she ran a hand through her hair. "It's safest for you to stay out here until I return for you, huh?"

Weiss nodded.

Ruby uttered a quick murmur for Winter to stay put as the knight moved her legs back to the courtyard side. Weiss watched her as Ruby jumped back down and landed before her.

"Ruby, what are you-"

She stopped when the knight removed her red cloak once again. But Ruby didn't fold it this time nor lie it on the ground.

Instead, she draped it around Weiss' shoulders and secured the ties at her collar.

"Wait for my return," she said. "Until then, this should help you keep warm."

Weiss couldn't find words. Instead, she kissed Ruby's cheek again.

Ruby smiled softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."

With that, she climbed back up the wall and jumped down on the other side without looking back.

Weiss heard the sound of her landing and then her voice.

"Alright! Jump down! I'll catch you!" she called up to Winter.

The grey-haired girl glanced back down at her sister, clutching the apple nervously between her hands. Weiss simply nodded to her.

"It's alright. I'll be with you soon."

Winter bit her lip and swallowed, then nodded back. She turned back to Ruby and slid off the wall.

Weiss heard her sister's squeak as Ruby triumphantly announced, "Got'cha!"

Then, there was silence for a moment, until Weiss could decipher the soft whinny of a horse. She could picture Ruby mounting and helping Winter up into her lap.

And then, the clutter of hooves rang out on the other side of the wall and soon started to fade into the distance.

When all was quiet, Weiss realized she was alone.

She had never been without her sister before, and now she was here with no one else but Cinder and her own father.

She didn't know how long Ruby would take to return to her, and it was quite possible Weiss would be discovered first.

But she was just glad Winter was safe now.

With a sigh, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down it, slumping to the ground as another pang shot up her injured ankle. She positioned it awkwardly to one side to keep it from hurting so badly, and her eyes drifted skyward.

As Ruby had said earlier, it was indeed growing darker by the moment, and it wouldn't be long before her father would be seeking her out to see if she'd completed her chores.

Every passing minute found Weiss in a colder, darker world.

She pulled Ruby's cloak tightly around her shoulders, clutching the strings to her chest.

A flurry of snow began to pepper the world in a thin layer of powdered white. Weiss shuddered, partially because of the cold, and partially due to the knowledge that she didn't have much longer to stay hidden.

She enjoyed the silence while she still could.

Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling a shivering breath and letting it out with a cough. She shook herself a bit to dislodge the snow that had gathered atop her head and on her dress, but it wasn't long before the flakes started falling faster and had covered her again.

Weiss curled in on herself as much as she could without risking more pain in her foot, using Ruby's cloak to preserve all the warmth she possibly could.

She didn't know how much time had passed...

Her entire body was shuddering violently now, her breath short and clipped in between wheezing coughs. She couldn't keep her eyes open, and her stomach was pitifully hollow.

A numbness soon began creeping over her, like ice trapping a swan, until she could no longer recognize the touch of her own skin or the fabrics of her clothes. She slumped back against the wall with a plea rising from her pale lips.

"R-Ruby..."

Silence.

Darkness.

Cold.

She released another withering breath.

And then, she heard noises, very distant ones.

They were coming from both sides of her, each drawing steadily nearer, and she wondered which would reach her first.

They were both the loud sounds of things crashing and thumping.

Then, one came to a halt, and she heard a clearer sound – the whinny of a horse.

Just as she'd forced her frozen eyelids to open, Weiss looked up in the darkening twilight to see a familiar figure leap down over the wall.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out softly.

A mixture of relief and worry was clear on the knight's face, a bit of snow in her hair and on her shoulders.

Weiss offered a weak smile and a thin breath.

"Y-You came back..."

"Of course I did! I promised, didn't I?" Ruby knelt down before Weiss and put a hand to the other girl's cheek, finding her skin ice cold. "Your sister is safe. I left her with my own sister and she's being given food and a place to spend the night. I took my sister's horse here; he's energized and very fast. We'll be back in Vale in half the time it took my horse." Ruby found Weiss' tired eyes and smiled softly. "Come on. I'll get you out of here so you can be with your sister again."

Ruby combed a few fingers through Weiss' stiffened hair to free it of snowflakes. Weiss made a small sound, one of exhaustion and pain.

"Ruby..." she rasped. "I... I think my father's found out... I can hear him crashing about through the castle. He's found me out..."

Ruby felt her heart clench.

"No he hasn't," she grunted. "Not yet. I'm going to get you out of here no matter what. I promise."

Ruby slipped her hands beneath Weiss' forearms to brace her. Slowly, the knight got to her feet, and Weiss made an effort to do the same.

But she couldn't feel her legs, not until a stinging pain shot up from her injured ankle. With a yelp, Weiss felt herself falling forward, but Ruby was there to catch her gently.

"It's okay," she murmured into Weiss' ear. "I'm gonna get you out of here no matter what," she repeated, as though to convince them both.

She steadied Weiss as best she could. They could both feel it now, how drastic the situation had become now that Weiss was being hunted for.

Ruby had Weiss face the great white wall.

Weiss clutched the red cloak tighter to herself; this was the wall that had kept her trapped for so many years, and now she was to suddenly conquer it?

It seemed impossible.

But Ruby was growing just as desperate as she was.

"Here." Ruby lifted Weiss' left hand and placed it on a crease between two of the bricks. She then bent down and pointed to a foothold. "And put your shoe here."

Ruby stayed on the ground for now, keeping a firm hand on Weiss' back, just as Weiss had done for Winter previously.

But the knight could tell just how badly Weiss' ankle was hindering her; the girl moved with harrowing slowness despite the urgency of the situation.

Ruby couldn't blame her. This girl had risked everything for her sister's sake, gotten herself injured, and waited many hours in the biting cold.

Every time Weiss moved her right foot, she cried out in pain.

Ruby glanced continuously over her shoulder at the castle; she could hear muffled voices from within, clearly angered.

She swiftly directed her attention back to Weiss who had managed to get halfway up the wall, high enough that Ruby couldn't support her back any longer.

"You're doing great! Now move your right hand up and a little to the left! A bit more... good, there!"

Weiss was almost to the top now.

They could do this. They could-

Ruby jumped at the sudden, unpleasant sound of scraping against rock.

Weiss' ankle had failed her.

She tried to keep hold of the wall with her fingers, but to no avail. Several of her nails chipped and broke off as she slid down, streaks of blood left behind on the white stone. Weiss cried out in pain, and Ruby shouted her name as she quickly held out her arms and braced herself.

Weiss landed in her arms, but her weight barely made Ruby flinch. The white-haired girl was shivering violently, her fingers now bleeding as tears ran down her cheeks and gasps of pain left her lips.

"It's okay, it's okay," Ruby murmured. "I've got you." She pulled Weiss close and swallowed a curse.

This was bad. Weiss had already lost most of the use of her right foot, and now both of her hands were bleeding. She was numb and shivering, and when Ruby pulled her closer, she could clearly feel Weiss' heart thumping rapidly in terror at the thought of being caught.

But the sounds of shouting and shattering glass from within the castle were growing steadily closer to them, and they only got more furious by the second.

Ruby took a deep breath and carefully helped Weiss to her feet again, letting the girl lean on her.

"Weiss, you've gotta try again. Just-"

"R-Ruby..." Weiss gasped, shaking her head, curling her stiff, bloodied fingers into her palms. "I-I can't... just leave me. _Please_..."

"No way!" Ruby slipped in front of Weiss and looked up into her eyes. "I promised I'd get you out of here no matter what! Don't let me become a liar, Weiss. Don't you want to see your sister again? Don't you want to live life – a _real_ life, and not the one of a slave kept by her own _father?_ "

Weiss exhaled, watching her breath become white. She wiped a hand over her tears and sniffed once.

"Yes..." she whimpered. "Of _course_ I do..."

"Then let's get out of here."

Ruby smiled, and after a few heartbeats, Weiss managed to reflect it.

Once more, Ruby instructed her how to position her hands and feet, encouraging her all the while.

Weiss could hear her father's booming voice clearly now:

"Where are they? Find them at once!"

In between his curses and shouts were the sounds of things being toppled over and broken, and she knew Cinder must be looking for her, too.

Weiss panted as she scaled the wall under Ruby's instructions. The blood under her remaining nails hand already dried in the frigid cold, and she was more or less desensitized to the pain in her ankle by now.

Every passing second was a fraction of her last chance at freedom slipping away.

Weiss pushed onward, biting her lip until it bled, too.

And then, her hands met not a rigid surface, but a flat, clean-cut one.

She'd reached the top.

Desperately, Weiss hauled herself up, dragging her legs behind her until she could balance her weight on top of the wall.

Ruby cheered her from below.

"You did it, Weiss! You made it!"

Quickly, the knight began climbing the wall as well.

Weiss kept her eyes trained on the castle.

Just as Ruby hauled herself up beside her, Weiss heard the glass door of the balcony shatter open violently. Ruby gasped, wasting not another second as she jumped down into the grass of the forest below, sending up a powdering of snow as she landed.

She turned back and cried out:

"Weiss!"

But Weiss' eyes were trained on her father.

He stood on the balcony a dozen or so yards away, and even from this distance, Weiss could see the black fury in his eyes. Her heart seized and she couldn't breathe.

Panic overtook her as Cinder appeared at his side.

Weiss could hear her father's threatening, decisive command to the woman.

"Kill her."

The white-haired girl watched as Cinder raised her arm, two fingers pointed directly at Weiss as she chanted incantations of dark magics – a witch's magics.

Weiss was frozen with fear.

But then-

" _WEISS!_ "

She looked back down on the forest side.

Ruby was screaming her name with her arms outstretched.

Her desperate silver eyes said the rest.

 _"You've come this far. You're free. Just jump. Trust me."_

A crackle of black lightning shot forth from Cinder's fingertips and sped toward Weiss. With a short scream, she pushed herself off the wall just as the bricks shattered beneath her.

There was a moment of free-fall, freezing air whipping past her face, the forest below conjuring ways to break every bone in her body.

But soft arms found her instead, and she heard Ruby's voice as the knight caught Weiss in her arms.

"Weiss!" she gasped. "Are you okay? Did it hit you? Can you breathe?"

Ruby took a pace back, away from the wall. The spot where Weiss had just been seconds ago now had a chunk missing, the surrounding stone dyed a deathly black.

She looked back down to Weiss who was shaking and coughing in her arms.

"N-No..." the injured girl panted. "I-I think she missed me..."

"Oh, thank the gods."

Relief washed over Ruby in a thick wave, and she pulled Weiss up to her as she dipped her head and pressed a kiss to the other girl's temple.

A second later, the knight sputtered.

"Oh gods, I-I'm so sorry! I was just so relieved a-and I-"

"Ruby..." Weiss' voice was thin, but she was smiling. "It's alright." She strained up to kiss the knight's cheek for a third time. "Thank you."

Ruby couldn't help but hug her again.

The snow was still falling down around them, and the moon had overtaken the sky by now, casting a silver light onto the shimmering blankets of white below.

Ruby kept Weiss in her arms as she carried her to the treeline of the forest. A sturdy golden stallion was tied to a branch, waiting for them, and Weiss realized this was the first time in years she had seen a real horse.

Ruby helped her up onto the saddle, keeping both of Weiss' legs hanging off to one side and instructing her to hold onto the leather for a moment. Tentatively, Weiss reached out to pet the horse's neck, running her sore finger through the soft, coarse fur.

In the meantime, Ruby walked to the side of the stallion and opened up a pouch on the side of the saddle. From within, she extracted a folded blanket she had purposefully brought along for this journey and handed it up to Weiss.

"This'll keep you warm for the ride back."

Weiss nodded her gratitude and placed the blanket in her lap for the moment.

Ruby untied the horse before slipping her boot into the stirrup. She was careful not to jostle Weiss as she mounted and got into position in front of the girl. She glanced over her shoulder at Weiss.

"You ready?"

"Just a moment."

Weiss quickly untied the cloak from around her neck and slipped it off her shoulders. She draped it over Ruby's back instead, putting it back into its rightful place.

"Thank you for lending it to me. But it looks best on you."

Ruby chuckled and fastened her cloak into place.

Weiss pulled the blanket up over her own shoulders, relishing the warmth of it even in the falling snow.

Finally, she untied her apron, just as Winter had done.

Weiss removed the red apple from its pocket, keeping it in one hand before letting the old, tattered apron fall away and settle in the snow below.

Ruby grinned back at her, and Weiss nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Okay," Ruby said. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride, so hold onto me."

Weiss hesitated a moment before slowly slipping her arms around Ruby's waist. Her free fingers grasped the wrist of the hand that held the apple, and Weiss pressed herself close to Ruby's back, shivering in a more pleasant way as she adjusted to the other girl's warmth.

When Ruby knew Weiss wouldn't fall off, she turned her heel into the stallion's flank, and with a snort, he started off through the trees.

Weiss was indeed taken aback by the movement involved with riding a horse. She gasped softly and clung to Ruby tightly.

"It's alright!" Ruby reassured her. "You won't fall off."

She didn't think they were being pursued, but she didn't want to slow the horse's pace, not when night was already upon them and the snow was falling faster.

She weaved the horse through the trees, keeping alert for sounds of wolves or other predators, but nothing seemed amiss.

Ruby focused on leading the stallion out of the forest; once they were free of it, there was just a several-minute gallop along a path that would take them back to Vale.

She was certain to check on Weiss every moment or so as well. The girl had rested her head against Ruby's shoulders, but her grip hadn't slackened, so Ruby knew she wasn't in danger of falling off.

They rode for a while through the woods, the only sound being the horse's hooves and grunts. The snow was falling silently, and with the moonlight shining down on it, the darkness was only half of what it should have been.

Weiss made sure to keep her eyes open; she could sleep once she had seen Winter again.

Instead, she marveled at the world around her, the world she'd been denied seeing for years.

Before long, she could see lights and buildings in the distance. This must be where Ruby hailed from, the Kingdom of Vale.

Ruby confirmed her thoughts.

"We'll be there soon, Weiss. We're almost out of the forest."

Weiss merely hummed to show she'd heard.

It was then her stomach growled again, reminding her it had been nearly two days since she'd had anything more than a sip of cold soup.

Weiss kept her free hand at Ruby's hip, holding onto her belt as she brought the apple before her own lips. Even in the night, she could tell it was the same color as Ruby's cloak, a bright, inviting red.

Weiss inhaled the scents of fruit and roses.

Her pink lips kissed the skin of the apple.

Then, her white teeth sunk through the fruit, and she took off a bite. It was a good flavor, with crunch and juice. She swallowed-

Ruby had just been steering the horse out of the last patch of trees, and now only an open stretch of snowy fields lay before them.

"Alright!" she called out. "I'm gonna put him into a gallop so-"

Her words stopped abruptly as an awful sensation crept up her spine.

She felt Weiss' arms go slack around her, and her warmth left Ruby's back.

"Weiss?!"

Ruby wrestled her boots from the stirrups as Weiss fell sideways off the side of the horse. The knight kicked off the stallion's flank and jumped, just barely managing to catch Weiss before they both hit the ground.

Luckily, the landing was softened by snow, but Ruby's head rang for a moment. The blanket had fallen from Weiss' shoulders and laid in the snow beneath her now.

Ruby scrambled to her knees to find that the stallion had stopped and circled back to wait nearby. Her eyes quickly went back to Weiss.

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

At first she thought the girl had simply fallen asleep, but not even after Ruby had called to her a few more times did she wake.

"Weiss? Can you hear me?" She slipped an arm beneath the girl's shoulders, but Weiss' head rolled limply to one side.

That was when Ruby started to fear something was horribly wrong.

"Weiss...? D-Did you actually get hit by that lightning before? Weiss?" Ruby pulled her closer, into her lap, and pressed a hand to the side of Weiss' neck. The pulse she found was unnaturally feeble - terrifyingly so.

"Weiss?!" She shrieked again, panic weighing down her voice.

Ruby hunched forward and pressed an ear to Weiss' chest. Her fragile heartbeat was fading by the second, each beat more faint than the last.

 _Th-thmp, th-thmp..._

 _Th-thmp... th-thmp..._

 _Thmp... thmp..._

And then it stopped.

"Oh gods..." Ruby whispered. "Oh my god. Weiss...? Weiss, no..." She straightened herself up again, feeling her nose and eyes stinging, her vision blurring around the edges. "Weiss...? _Weiss?_ "

Ruby tried again, dipping her head to the girl's chest and listening, but there was nothing to hear.

Nothing at all.

Ruby jerked herself up again, swallowing hiccups.

"Weiss no, w-what happened to you?" She held a hand to the girl's chest, but Weiss' ribs didn't expand with breath, nor did any puffs of white rise up from her lips.

Ruby was frantic, unable to discern what had gone awry.

Had Weiss succumbed to the cold? Had she already been harboring some kind of long-term illness that had taken her at last?

As her watering eyes flashed over Weiss' person, Ruby caught sight of something in the snow a few feet away. When she squinted, she found it was an apple with a bite missing.

But the inside wasn't a healthy whitish color – instead it was black.

But not from rot.

 _Poison_.

"Oh no..." Ruby crumpled, clutching Weiss tighter in her lap. "Weiss... we were so close... you're free now, you-you gotta go see your sister, remember? What... am I supposed to tell her? You can't die, Weiss. _You're so close_..."

But no matter what Ruby said, Weiss never opened her eyes, nor did the thrum of her heartbeat return.

Ruby could only weep into the girl's blue dress.

Weiss' skin was so cold and pale, as white as her hair, as white as the pure snow that continued to fall all around them now.

But Ruby didn't want to see that white unless she could see the beautiful blue of Weiss' eyes along with it.

"Weiss..."

Why did it hurt so badly? Ruby had only just met her today. Had she really fallen for Weiss within the course of only a few hours?

When she looked down at the girl's unmoving form, the crippling sorrow that came over Ruby told her the answer.

The grieving tears didn't stop. Her hands only missed Weiss' warmth more and more every second, and her eyes missed that pretty blue color.

Keeping Weiss in her lap, Ruby lifted one hand, bringing it to the girl's face. All the while, her own tears kept dripping down to land on Weiss' chest. Her fingers brushed lightly through frozen white bangs, then down a scarred cheek and over breathless lips.

Ruby was at a loss for what more she could do other than weep.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. " _I'm so sorry..._ "

The only feasible option she had now was to take Weiss' body back to Vale and give her a proper burial.

Ruby couldn't imagine the grief Weiss' sister would have to suffer through. Weiss had just helped her escape their tyrannical father against all odds; she'd more or less saved Winter's life.

But at the cost of her own.

Winter was expecting to be with Weiss once more, to start new lives together as free girls.

Ruby had promised Winter she would bring her sister back to her.

And now... she would be bringing back a silent body.

Ruby merely whimpered a few moments longer, her sobs rising softly on wisps of air, climbing toward the silent moon before dissipating.

But Ruby was starting to lose feeling in her extremities, and she knew she needed to get back to her horse and continue the journey home.

But first, she curled herself over Weiss' unmoving form, pulling her into a soft embrace as she murmured more apologies to the girl.

She recalled what Weiss had told her earlier that day, when she had been alive and eager upon first encountering Ruby. She'd kissed Ruby's cheek, and when the knight requested if she may take similar action...

Weiss hadn't denied her, but merely asked her to wait until all of this was over.

And it was clearly over now.

Selfishly, Ruby pressed her lips against Weiss' frozen cheek, feeling the dire contrast between their body temperatures. She poured every ounce of the affection that had never gotten the chance to blossom into that kiss.

When she pulled away, her miserable eyes returned to the poisoned apple several feet away, now mostly covered in snow.

Ruby kissed Weiss' other cheek and then hugged the girl to her chest one final time.

At that point, Ruby fully believed the cold had gotten to her head, and was now playing cruel tricks on her.

Because she could've sworn she'd felt Weiss' chest rise with a breath.

Ruby refused to allow herself to be deceived by the illusion. She curled over Weiss once more, hunching forward and sighing into the girl's chest, her tears seeping into Weiss' dress.

She'd been about to pull away from Weiss when she froze upon catching a sound beneath her ear. It was an extremely faint thumping, and when she concentrated, she could detect a rhythm to it.

It started out weak, but as the seconds passed, it gradually increased in both strength and speed.

Ruby pulled away just as a gasp of air heaved through Weiss' body and flew from her lips, out into the cold night air.

Ruby cried out in disbelief.

" _Weiss?!_ "

Frantically, she scooped Weiss into her arms, trying not to let her touch the surrounding snow too much.

"Weiss? Weiss, c-can you hear me?" Ruby pressed a hand to the girls' chest, and numb as it was, she could faintly feel Weiss breathing.

The knight held her own breath as Weiss stirred.

The little crystals that had formed on her eye lashes broke as she lifted them, revealing familiar pools of blue like daytime skies even so late in this shadowed night.

Weiss blinked several times, breathing in the crisp, frigid air awkwardly, almost as though she had forgotten how to.

Judging by Ruby's distraught expression, though... perhaps she had.

A whimper escaped her lips as her eyes found Ruby's, silver pools like stardust that had fallen from the sky to bless the planet below. She was about to try out her voice, but Ruby beat her to it.

" _Weiss!_ " she cried.

The white-haired girl felt herself being lifted slightly before a gentle warmth and weight pressed to her chest. It felt heavenly after so long of being so terribly cold.

Ruby continued to cry out her name.

"Weiss, Weiss, Weiss!"

But the knight said nothing more as she wailed into Weiss' stomach.

With a little huff, the older girl finally found her voice.

"Ruby... what's going on? Why... are you crying?"

Ruby sat back a little, wiping her sleeve over her face multiple times before reaching over Weiss, scrambling to collect the blanket that had fallen into the snow with them. She tucked it around Weiss as best she could in this position, and Weiss felt herself shiver instantly. But the chill faded before long and melted into a subtle warmth.

By then, Ruby had finally found her voice.

"I-I was t-taking you back to Vale like I promised, a-and you suddenly-" She paused, sniffled, and tried again. "You suddenly fell off and I caught you, but you-you weren't breathing anymore, and I could hear your heart stopping and it was so scary. Th-That apple you ate was poisoned."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise.

Had she really just... been dead a moment ago?

But it didn't surprise her with what Ruby had told her just now.

"I see..." she sighed. "Cinder – the woman who tried to strike me with lightning – was the one who gave me that apple." Then, a beat of terror passed over her heart, and she jolted. "W-Winter!" she gasped. "I- she... she gave me an apple to give to Winter, too! My sister's in danger!"

"Calm down!" Ruby soothed her with a gentle hand to her forehead. "Your sister is fine, Weiss. She ate the apple as I was bringing her back to Vale, but nothing ever happened to her. You fainted the second you took a bite, but I can assure you your sister's apple wasn't poisoned."

Weiss saw only honesty in Ruby's eyes – it'd never left them since the second they'd met, she realized. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods..." An exhale shuddered from her lungs as two tiny tears ran down her cheeks. "So then... I was poisoned. I should be dead. What happened?"

"Well..." Ruby fumbled for words. "I think it was more of a curse that put you into... an apparent state of being dead. You heart stopped and you couldn't breathe or move, but you were still alive.

"But I... I just remembered what you'd said before... h-how it would be okay for me to... k-kiss your cheek in return some time... a-and so I did it just now... I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked, bowing her head.

Weiss chuckled softly.

"Don't apologize. I'd given you permission in advance," she said, feeling a rush of blood come to her face. "You saved my life, Ruby. If you hadn't woken me now, everyone would have assumed I was dead. Of course, without any ability to eat or drink, my body truly would have perished in a few days' time. So thank you for returning that kiss."

Weiss reached her arms up to Ruby's neck and pulled her down gently so she may kiss her cheek in a display of gratitude.

Ruby blushed despite the cold and carefully took Weiss' hands in hers. Three of her nails had been lost during her slip off the white wall, and there was dried, frozen blood beneath a few of the others.

Ruby kissed each of Weiss' fingers in turn, warming them a bit in the process.

Weiss felt her heart swell.

"Thank you, Ruby."

The knight kissed her knuckles and then turned Weiss' palms over. She then held small kisses to the underside of each wrist, where Weiss' pulse fluttered beneath.

"It is my greatest honor," she murmured.

Then, she scooped Weiss into one last embrace, one the other girl returned unto her with fervor.

At last, Ruby found the strength to move her legs again. She held Weiss securely in her arms, squeezing the blanket to the girl's shivering form as she whistled for her horse.

When he reached them, Ruby sat Weiss onto the saddle before climbing up herself.

Weiss yawned a little, but as soon as Ruby was ready, she wrapped her arms around the knight's waist and pressed close to her back. The soft fabrics of the red cloak pillowed her cheek as Ruby had the horse take off.

The knight kept one hand on the reins and the other squeezed at the spot where Weiss' fingers interlocked around her stomach. Ruby checked continuously on her passenger as they galloped, asking if she was alright, encouraging her to hold on, stay awake, reminding Weiss they were almost there...

It was a struggle, but somehow Weiss managed.

They reached a bridge of earth with a white river frozen on either side beneath them. Just beyond it were hundreds of buildings, homes now quiet under the cover of night.

Once they'd crossed the bridge, Weiss heard Ruby's proud voice.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Vale."

Weiss sighed, and mumbled a response.

"Glad to be here."

Ruby brought the stallion along a few snow-covered streets, and Weiss fought to keep her eyes open. She observed the peaceful foreign homes to distract herself, focused on Ruby's warm hand over her own, and reminded herself what the result of all her toiling exhaustion was.

Freedom and safety, for both Winter and herself.

She caught sight of stables ahead, and the house connected to them was the only one with a yellow candle lit and flickering in one of the windows.

Ruby brought the stallion to a halt just as Weiss heard sounds from within the building. She tensed, but Ruby squeezed her hands reassuringly.

"It's okay."

Weiss' gaze traveled up the half dozen steps leading to the door of the house just as it opened.

A tall girl dressed in a similar suit to Ruby's appeared, though instead of a red cloak down her back, she sported a mane of flowing golden hair. Her lavender eyes met Weiss', and the other girl smiled before giving her attention to Ruby.

"Hey, lil' sis!" she called softly. "I was startin' to get worried cause you were taking so long."

"Yang!" Ruby grinned and sighed, and it was only then Weiss realized how tired the knight was, too.

Yang hurried down the steps and reached her horse.

"Tell me everything. But inside. I've got a fire going," she said.

Ruby nodded swiftly before giving a pat to Weiss' hands. She looked over her shoulder and met her blue eyes kindly.

"Weiss, this is my sister, Yang. Go inside with her, okay? I'm just gonna put the horse away and I'll be right in. And Yang, she's injured, so carry her please."

"Got it."

Weiss couldn't deny she was a bit nervous; she'd gotten so accustomed to Ruby's presence in just the short amount of time she'd known her.

But she reminded herself once more what awaited her.

"Alright."

Weiss relinquished her grip on Ruby, just as Yang reached up to her. Weiss extended her arms and held onto the girl's shoulders. Yang slipped her arms beneath Weiss and carefully lifted her off the saddle, lowering her into her arms.

Weiss discovered this girl was surprisingly warm, much more so than the snow-covered blanket that clung to her own shoulders was.

Yang turned and headed for the house, but Weiss' eyes couldn't help but stay trained on Ruby for as long as possible. She watched her dismount and begin leading the stallion to the stables, until Yang had brought her inside the house and Ruby was cut from her sight.

There was a living area with a fireplace at the far end of the room. Flames crackled softly, and a warmth like no other enveloped Weiss. She had never felt the warmth of a fire before, nor seen its alluring colors.

Two couches were positioned on either side of the room, small tables beside each and a dimly-lit lamp atop one of those.

But Weiss' eyes passed over the furniture only briefly; her eyes were drawn to a familiar figure curled on one of the couches.

She wore the same lilac dress as when Weiss had left her, though she had blankets draped around her now, and a cup of warm tea in her hands. Her grey hair had been brushed, and when she turned her head, her azure eyes were bright and joyous.

Weiss very nearly choked on her name.

"Winter..."

The sound of her sister's voice was almost too good to be true.

"Weiss..."

The youngest jumped up and put her teacup down before rushing across the room, throwing her arms around Weiss, even while she was still in Yang's arms.

"Easy there," the blonde said softly. "She's hurt."

Yet she couldn't help but smile at the sisters' tearful reunion.

Yang carried Weiss over to the couch and set her down with care. Weiss kept her injured ankle elevated a bit, and Yang informed the two girls that she was going to fetch more blankets before hurrying out of the room.

Winter sat down beside her sister and hugged her again, and Weiss finally returned the gesture.

"We made it," she murmured. "We're free."

"It's all thanks to you," Winter sobbed into her shoulder.

They held one another for a moment, pulling apart only when the door opened again, and Ruby stepped inside.

Yang returned as well with more blankets on her arm, and spared a second to hug her own sister tightly, ruffling Ruby's hair and telling her what a wonderful thing she had done tonight. She removed Ruby's cloak for her and put it on one of the couches, draping a warm blanket over the girl instead.

Yang gave the other quilt to Weiss, exchanging it for the cold, wet blanket she had ridden here with. The blonde then brought them all fresh cups of tea before sitting down beside Ruby on the couch opposite Weiss and Winter.

Each pair seemed inseparable now that they had been reunited, huddled up together and warming themselves with tea and contact.

Yang was the first to speak up again, looking pointedly at Ruby beside her.

"So... what took you guys so long in getting back?"

Weiss looked up, and Ruby met her eyes. There was misery there, as though she were reliving the moments when she'd thought Weiss had died.

But Weiss smiled kindly at her, reminding the young knight of reality.

Ruby smiled back, and began the story.

Yang listened quietly all the while, and Winter clung to Weiss when she heard of her poisoning.

But they all knew of the happy ending, and once Ruby was finished speaking, they were all wiping away tears of relief.

"Wow..." Yang murmured. "That's some strong stuff. But..." She smirked a little then as her eyes flicked from Ruby to Weiss and back again. "You _do_ realize that curses like that aren't just broken by accident or luck, right?"

All three of the other girls tilted their heads - puzzled - and spoke in unison.

"What do you mean?"

Yang laughed out loud before calming herself.

"Those kind of curses can only be broken by the kiss of true love. I guess it doesn't specify that it has to be the lips though, haha."

At her words, Weiss' face went red, and when she looked to Ruby, she saw similar results.

"W-What?" Weiss squeaked. "Y-You- dolt, you-"

"Ahhh, w-well, I um-!" Ruby nearly spilled her tea in her lap. "I-I mean, I know it's weird cause I only just met you, b-but I just- aahh I don't know! I can't control it!" she cried.

"And you..." Weiss put a hand to her mouth. "Back in the courtyard... wh-when you laid down your vest-"

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Ruby flailed her free arm and kicked her legs. "Weiss no, don't tell-"

"You _what?!_ " Yang guffawed. "Ruby, you _do_ realize that's basically a proposal, right?"

"Shut up! I was just-"

"W-Weiss?" Winter interjected, wide-eyed as she looked to her sister. "You and Miss Ruby are... engaged to be married?"

"Of course not!" Weiss shrieked.

"Really?" Yang hummed. "Cause that's what it sounds like to me~ I mean, you wouldn't have woken up if anyone other than your true love had kissed you, so you know it's gotta be her, am I right?"

Weiss' mouth fell open speechlessly, and Ruby's gabbed like a fish out of water.

But neither could deny Yang's words.

The blonde leaned back against the couch and sighed.

"Well, whatever. You guys work on that on your own time. We can sort things out tomorrow and I'll make us a big breakfast. But for now, I think we could all use some bedtime."

She put her teacup aside and flopped down onto the couch, curling the blankets around herself; she was snoring within minutes.

Ruby muttered several things under her breath, kicking her sister's legs away lightly as she pouted, her face still bright red before she turned back to her guests.

"Sh-She's right. Let's all go to sleep now." Her eyes softened naturally when they met Weiss'. "You're safe here. I promise."

Weiss hid her face due to its blush, but she ultimately nodded.

Winter and her sister put their empty teacups onto the little table. Weiss kissed her sister's forehead, murmuring reassurances and calming words to her as Winter curled up on one end of the couch; she too, was dozing within minutes.

That left only two sisters remaining.

Weiss was having trouble lying herself down without aggravating her ankle. Ruby rose from the couch silently and crossed the room; though both their faces were still pink against the firelight, they couldn't help but smile at one another.

Sheepishly, Ruby put a hand behind her head in a familiar fashion before kneeling down in front of the other.

"Sorry about my sister. She's a big-mouth who doesn't always think first."

"It's fine..."

Weiss felt familiar, gentle arms slip behind her knees and shoulders as Ruby laid her down on the other end of the couch.

It was only then Weiss realized how much she'd missed Ruby's touch.

Ruby was careful in moving the other girl's legs onto the couch, but the pain Weiss had been expecting never came with the knight's gentle movements.

"How does that feel?" Ruby wondered.

"Perfect..." Weiss murmured, her eyelids growing heavier now. "Just perfect. Thank you so much, Ruby. Might you... come closer so I may thank you once again?"

She watched Ruby's face get redder again as the girl slid closer to the couch, her face just inches from Weiss'.

Weiss lifted her head and kissed the girl's cheek, smiling when Ruby did the same for her. She felt fingers trailing through her hair for a moment, and relished Ruby's touch.

The knight sighed fondly as she felt Weiss breathe ever so softly, and she couldn't help but kiss her again, over her brow.

How lucky was she to have fallen for a girl with such a rich, caring, beautiful soul?

Weiss opened her eyes just one last time to offer a small whisper.

"As your sister said... we'll take our time with this. But I already know in my heart that we are destined for one another. If... you believe the same...?"

She was still a bit uncertain about what the reaction to her confession might be, but Ruby dashed those fears with one final kiss to her cheek.

"There's not a doubt in my mind," she murmured, her voice threatening to bubble over from sheer joy and excitement. But she contained it for now; there would be plenty of time in the future to convey her emotions. "Rest well, Weiss."

Weiss made sure the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes were those shimmering silver pools.

She listened as Ruby stood and went back to the far couch to lay down and sleep.

Weiss didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew it would lead to a brighter, warmer future, and be wonderful beyond compare to anything she had ever known before.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this tale! I tried to keep some things similar to Snow White's story, as you can tell. I just hope you caught the tidbit about changing the chant from "who's the fairest of them all?" to "who's the richest?" I wanted to use richness for Weiss' father, and then convey the fact that Weiss wasn't physically wealthy, but rather had a loving soul instead. That is her "richness."**

 **Next is Blake's story!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	3. The Human And The Beast

**This chapter is probably the one most closely based off of the related fairytale, Beauty and the Beast. Of course there are my own personal twists, but you'll clearly see the fairytale references in here.**

 **Also, Blake is a human, and there are no Faunus in this particular world.**

 **Thank you to justanothercalamity!**

 **This is the "autumn" chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3.

The Human And The Beast

A girl paced insistently across the wooden floorboards of her home.

Her dress was dark violet with small linings of white, her hair an onyx ocean of waves down her back. The matching bow atop her head bounced with every step she took, each tap of her feet becoming quicker, more panicked by the minute.

Blake couldn't tell what was faster; the flustered patter of her shoes or the nervous thumping of her heart.

There was a fire burning in the hearth in contrast to the autumn chill outside, yet guilt swept over her at the prospect of being the only one to enjoy the heat, while her companion was out in the cold twilight alone.

Adam hadn't returned in hours, long enough to make Blake antsy enough to put down her book and refuse to pick it up again until she saw him return safely.

He was supposed to stop by her home first upon his return, and initially she'd thought perhaps he'd neglected to and simply gone to his own residence across the way. But constant checking from the window on Blake's part found no candles lit in his windows, no signs of life or proof of his return.

Despite his common lapses in judgement and tendencies to act before thinking, she and Adam had been friends since childhood, and while they were hardly involved romantically, Blake still felt nauseous at the thought of something happening to him. It was growing darker by the second, and she couldn't sit herself down long enough to take a breath before she was back to her anxious pacing.

Only when she heard a commotion outside did she grab a coat and throw it over herself before hurrying out.

A small crowd had gathered around Adam's residence, but before Blake could begin to wonder why, she saw what the fuss was about.

A coal-colored horse was trotting about in the twilight, stomping its hooves and snorting, clearly shaken by something. Blake came to a halt a few feet away.

It was Adam's horse, and it had returned without a rider.

She slipped through the crowd that had gathered and went to the stallion, placing a gentle hand on its neck. Blake always seemed to have a way with animals, and her touch calmed the creature down until it stopped trampling the dirt road.

She then faced the crowd of concerned faces, and spoke in a voice to match their uncertainties.

"Has anyone seen Adam?"

The response was enough to make her heart seize.

"I saw him riding toward the woods."

"Toward that old castle."

"He's finally gone and done it..."

Everyone in the village knew the haunting tales of the castle.

It sat atop a mountain shrouded by dark, disconcerting woods that rarely saw sunlight, teeming with wolves and bears. Decades had told of unnerving rumors, whispers and legends of the beast that resided within the ancient walls.

The most common depiction was that of a giant eagle made of flame, one that had little mercy for trespassers.

However, the riches promised to one who could slay the beast were too tempting for some to ignore.

Adam had spoken of it before only briefly, in such a manner that led Blake to believe he wasn't serious.

It was far too late to realize that misinterpretation now.

If he was still alive, he was in grave danger.

Blake couldn't afford to waste time.

She reached up to the stallions's saddle and slipped her boots into the stirrups, and with a kick to the flank, Blake was off and running before anyone could hope to stop her.

* * *

The castle was a place humanity feared to approach, and a place time had seemed to have forgotten.

The sole resident who resided there thought that perhaps things were best this way.

She told herself she'd once been human, but the faith in her memory was fading by the day – just as the rose was.

The rose, the start of all this.

Several years ago, she had come to the castle door at the sound of the first knock in ages. A woman with red eyes and hair like the night had stood there, begging the owner for shelter for the night.

Yang could still remember clearly, that unease she'd felt toward that woman, and that had been the main reason why she'd refused her.

Turning away in anger, the woman had tossed a rose inside at Yang's feet. Carelessly, she'd picked it up, and that was when it'd happened.

Pain like never before.

She'd felt like she was on fire, being lit from the inside out by blazing thorns, howling in agony as her hair caught flame and lifted around her, eyes taking on the same crimson color as the woman's she'd turned away.

Yang would never forget the last words that woman had said to her before disappearing:

 _"Unless you can break it, your curse shall endure as long as your life - until the last petal falls."_

That rose had stolen Yang's humanity.

She still took the physical form of a human, but it was inside of her that had been altered.

Her blood was roaring, and for a time, the flames in her hair never subsided, nor did the red in her eyes. It was only after months of suppressing the curse that she finally got her lavender eyes to return, and the heat at her back faded.

But those first few months had been crucial time wasted searching the archives of the castle library for ways to break a traveler's curse.

All she had discovered was that the more she utilized her flames, the quicker that rose lost its petals. But as far as she knew, there was no way to save herself from this curse.

And yet - despite her tainted soul - some human emotions remained.

Like fear. The fear of death.

She clung to life desperately; she decided that a cursed, unsteady life still might have been better than the permanence of death.

And yet, each passing day only made her lean further toward accepting her inevitable demise.

She kept the rose beneath a glass case on the nightstand in her bedroom; it was the first thing she saw every morning, and the last she saw every night - a constant, cruel reminder. Of its petals, half had fallen within the first months of her learning to control the flames – the more frequently they were in use, the faster her candle burned out.

And yet, even after she had learned to suppress the flames to the point where they weren't constantly at her back, an occasional outburst of uncontrollable rage would strike her now and again.

The intensity of those short-lived outbursts was often equivalent to the results of even the less passionate flames burning continuously.

Either way, she knew she was doomed.

. . .

On the present day's morning, she had woken in time to see another petal fall from the rose, settling into a small pile with the others beneath the glass covering.

The petals on the ground now surpassed the number still on the flower.

Yang wanted to crumple, to curl up and sob into her sheets.

But she couldn't – not anymore, not since she'd been cursed. To be denied her tears was to be denied her humanity, or so it felt.

She wasn't human any longer - simply a wretched beast.

And so she acted like one when she heard sounds at the castle doors hours later.

She was scared to open them, frightened it might be the same woman who had cursed her. But if it was, she was also _eager_ to open those doors and exact her revenge.

But the sounds weren't knocks now; they were bashes and blows, as though someone were trying to break in by force.

She'd have none of that.

Yang adorned a simple yellow and white dress, one she'd often worn in her teenage years as a human. Without the flames in use, her appearance resembled that of a typical girl.

Depending on who this intruder was and what they wanted, her response at maintaining this harmless appearance might change.

Her only other companion in the castle was a small dog named Zwei, and presently he barked at the doors, flustered at all the loud noises that echoed through the empty halls and made even Yang's eardrums ring. She reached the doors and unhinged the locks one by one until-

The person on the other side slammed their full weight against the wooden doors, forcing them the rest of the way open as Yang stumbled back to face the person.

It was a boy, but she couldn't tell much beyond that. His hair was red and he was dressed in black, but his face was mostly concealed by a dark bandana.

But it wasn't the boy that concerned Yang; it was the large dagger in his hand.

His eyes were the only part of his face she could make out in the darkness, and they were intent and full of hatred. His voice was a snarl despite the arduous journey he'd just endured to get here.

"I'll kill you," he growled pointedly. "Your head's worth a fortune. I'll kill you."

These threats were nothing Yang hadn't heard before from others who had ventured here. He also didn't seem to be confused or hesitant about the fact that the beast he'd expected to find took the form of a young girl; he was simply intent to kill whatever he'd found here today.

Yang met his eyes and squared her shoulders, a puff of steam emerging from her lips as she spoke.

"Come at me, then."

She knew by now how to scare off a greedy human man.

Yang unlocked her flames, feeling their heat swallowing up her golden hair instantly, shining bright light all around her, wafting steam through the cold air. Her eyes ran red and she released another breath of smoke.

The crackling light given off by the fire almost seemed to give off the appearance of two massive wings stemming from her spine, stretching out behind her in a display of omnipotent power and strength.

This had always been enough in the past, enough to scare trespassers away.

But for some reason, this boy stayed.

She could see the fear in his eyes, the hesitance as he lowered his weapon, but it was almost as though he had been somewhat desensitized, as though he'd experienced great horrors in the past where witnessing something like this didn't terrify him to the point of fleeing.

Yang admired his courage; he'd already lasted longer than any other before him. She took a step forward, and still, he held his ground.

Zwei charged at the boy's boots, snapping and snarling.

When the intruder kicked the little dog away – _that_ was what set Yang off.

The flames doubled in brightness and temperature as she let out a sound still limited by human vocal chords, but mostly akin to a roar.

More heat, more steam.

Now the boy was frozen in terror.

She knocked the dagger from his hand and grabbed his shirt with force. Her crimson eyes bore down into his; she didn't know what color his eyes were, for all she could see when she became like this was red.

But she saw the crushing fear in his gaze, and that was enough.

She leaned down and released a wafting breath that made him sweat despite the autumn cold outside.

"You didn't run away," she observed. "I'm impressed. I'll have to reward you." She leaned down next to his ear and hissed a whisper. "I've never kept a prisoner before."

With that, she stormed off down the many halls of her castle, dragging the boy behind her with minimal effort. She opened an empty old closet that had served little purpose until now and tossed him inside, securing every lock.

Then, Zwei scampered up to her feet with a limp, and her flames died away. She bent down to scoop him up, only to find him shivering. She knew the dog was torn between loving her and being instinctively scared of her.

Yang could only apologize softly before carrying him into the living area to start a fire in the hearth.

* * *

Adam's horse was reluctant to go back into those woods, but Blake persisted, urging the animal up the steep hill, trying to keep to the path.

The ground below was already covered in a thin layer of fallen leaves. When the darkness of night shrouded the world entirely, the moonlight reflected off the browns and golds of the dead leaves below, providing a bit of guidance.

But as she rode, keeping the horse at a gallop, Blake knew they weren't alone.

Past the rush of wind through her ears and hair, she could hear them howling, gathering, making plans to attack.

Her heart was in her throat as she kicked the horse's flanks repeatedly, driving him onward.

The castle was in sight now, just a bit further-

And then the wolves charged them.

The horse whinnied in terror, veering off the path as the canines cut off the path ahead, barking viciously as they gave chase.

Blake crouched low over the horse's neck, trying to direct him toward the castle. But she couldn't tear her wide eyes from the pack of wolves snapping their salivating jaws just a few feet behind them.

"Come on-" she panted. "Come on, come on-!"

Noise erupted around her from all sides, more barks and snarls and whinnies. Her horse reared, lashing out to kick at one of the wolves, but Blake couldn't hang on.

She was tossed from the saddle with a shriek before landing in the dirt and leaves, breath flying from her lungs. Pain from the impact and numbness from the cold hard earth surged through her body, and she struggled to open her eyes.

The noises were deafening and chaotic now, her vision swirling with blurred images and writhing shapes. The horse fended off a few of the wolves, but the others still prowled, circling...

The instant Blake saw one headed her way, all she could do was close her eyes and wait-

But the sharp, tearing claws and ripping fangs never came.

Instead, it was a new sound that filled her ears, the sound of something heavy crashing.

All of the feral action froze, and when Blake looked over her shoulder, she realized she was just in front of the castle.

The huge wooden doors had been swung open.

A girl stood in the entranceway, adorning a dress not very different Blake's own, the dress of a village girl.

Why was such a girl here, living in that castle?

Blake could only imagine she was a slave to whatever hideous beast was rumored to live inside.

But she quickly came to realize this was no ordinary girl.

Blake watched as she stepped out into the night, but the white puffs that came from her breath weren't due to the cold – they were due to heat.

Blake heard whimpers from the wolves, and when she looked to the animals, she saw ears flattening and hackles raising.

In one instant, the other girl was just a girl.

And the next, she was engulfed in flames like giant wings.

Even from here, Blake could see the blood-red of her eyes.

She couldn't move, only continue to lie there in the leaves and hope beyond hope she wouldn't be seen.

The blonde girl's gaze was focused on the wolves, and she growled louder than all of them combined had.

" _Get out!_ "

The bellowing voice that left her mouth didn't seem appropriate to be coming from such a body.

Blake cringed at the sound, and the animals scattered. The wolves scurried back into the trees with their tails between their legs, and the horse raced in the opposite direction, toward the castle, while still avoiding the girl of flame.

Blake realize she hadn't breathed since the second she'd seen the haunting wings of fire, and when she tried to inhale now, it was a loud gasp.

It got the other girl's attention, and when their eyes met, Blake forgot how to draw breath once more.

She heard the other girl spit out the words "Another one..." before she started to advance.

Blake scrambled back as the other approached, but she couldn't move well, her limbs and torso still stinging in pain from being thrown from the horse.

The girl stopped a foot away from Blake, standing tall over her. But even from this distance, she could feel the heat of the fire. The cold soil beneath the blonde girl's shoes had melted into mud, and Blake felt herself sweating within seconds.

It was like being in front of an inferno.

She blinked repeatedly as she looked up at the girl, squinting past the blinding brightness that suddenly intruded in the darkness.

The girl in the yellow dress glared down into her eyes, taking another threatening step forward.

"I said _get out of here_ ," she growled.

Blake pushed herself back another foot or so, wincing at the sharp ache in her chest. She fumbled for words, trying to swallow past the throbbing of her heart.

"I-I won't," she rasped. "Not until I find my friend." The fact that the girl had previously called her " _another_ one" meant there had been one before her. "If you have him, I'm begging you to let him go."

The girl of flame didn't even blink.

"And what if I've already disposed of him? What would you do?"

Blake's mouth went dry and her throat closed up.

"I-I..."

But the other girl groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Geez, never mind. I was just kidding. Can't you take a joke?"

Blake felt her shoulders go lax a bit, and she exhaled shakily.

"It... wasn't a very good joke," she muttered.

The other girl snorted before bending down and reaching out toward Blake's wrist.

"Get up. I'll take you to him."

The second the other girl made contact with her hand, Blake screamed, recoiling when she felt a searing heat shoot through her.

The girl with flaming hair turned back to her abruptly, eyes wide, as though confused by her pain, the first bit of emotion other than fury Blake had seen the girl display so far.

But then a dullness hazed over those red eyes once more, and Blake had to wonder if the emotion she'd just seen had been a figment of her own imagination.

The pain in her wrist died down after a few seconds of resting it in the leaves, and during that brief period, Blake watched as the roaring fire around the other girl subsided, leaving the moonlight as the only source of illumination now.

Now she could see this girl's hair was golden, not unlike Blake's own eyes. But when she knelt down beside her, Blake stiffened again.

"Calm down," the blonde muttered, though Blake had to wonder if she understood how difficult that was to accomplish. But when she spoke again, her voice was softer. "I won't burn you this time."

And she didn't. Blake felt the warm hand on her chilled one, and the girl helped her to her feet, steadying Blake when she stumbled. She noticed the other girl's eyes had lost the reddish hue, but she turned her back too quickly for Blake to tell what color they truly were.

"Follow me."

It was an order, and with the grip on her hand so tight, Blake didn't see how she could refuse.

The blonde girl tugged her toward the open doorway, and the instant Blake was inside, the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind her.

The castle was dark, save from a few stray candles here and there lining the walls, but they only provided a mere fraction of the light the girl's intense flames had produced moments ago.

Blake was pulled down the corridors, her boots shedding leaf debris on cold tile, though her gait was stiff and slightly limping. The pain was so severe it felt as though she'd been walking for hours, but she didn't dare ask the girl to slow down.

By the time she was brought to a halt, Blake was panting, and her head was spinning. Only the tug on her wrist managed to refocus her attention on the matter at hand.

"Here," the blonde girl huffed. She dropped Blake's hand and set to work undoing the locks on the hall closet door.

Blake clutched her hands to her chest as she waited for the final lock to come undone.

When the door opened at last, she saw a familiar boy sitting inside with his back to her.

"Adam!" she cried.

At the sound of his name, he turned instantly.

"Blake? What are you doing here?"

"Bringing you home!"

She made a move to reach for him, but the blonde girl intercepted her.

"Hold on there," she snapped. "This guy came here fully intending to kill me, or didn't you know that? I'm not about to just let the two of you waltz on out of here and skip back to town." Her eyes narrowed as she looked from Blake to Adam and back again. "I want a deal."

Blake's eyes met Adam's, seeing uncertainty there, but it didn't seem like they had a choice.

"What do you want?" she asked.

The other girl put a finger to her chin and pondered for a moment.

"I've dealt with enough _men_ trying to come up here and kill me for some petty reward," she growled. "But I've never had a girl before."

Blake's heart started to pound harder again, her eyes going wide. But she needed to do this before she could have a second thought.

"Fine," she agreed. "Take me instead."

"Blake, no-!" Adam tried to stop her, but was silenced instantly when the blonde girl grabbed his collar.

"You heard the lady," she purred. "You're pretty damn lucky. If she hadn't offered herself up, I might've gotten pissed and killed you."

Adam struggled under her grip, but the blonde pulled him along with ease, back down the hallways, bound for the doors.

Blake stumbled desperately after them, trying to ignore the pain in her chest. The other girl wasn't hindered by Adam's weight at all, and when she finally reached the doors, she flung them open before shoving him out into the night.

"Go back to town in the morning. Fewer chances of the wolves finding you then. Don't get killed and let your friend's sacrifice go to waste now," she called out. "Oh, and if you or anyone else ever come up here again, I'll kill every last one of you. I'm _finished_ with mercy."

Blake cried out Adam's name one last time before the doors slammed shut once more.

The girl fastened all the locks into place, the final one being secured with a key she slipped into the pocket of her dress. When she turned back to Blake, the latter gasped and stepped away.

But the blonde girl only rolled her eyes again.

"Come on, I'm not _really_ gonna kill anyone. You people are so uptight."

Blake tried to slow her erratic breathing.

"That... that joke wasn't any better than the first," she wheezed.

The girl laughed harshly.

"Guess some people just can't appreciate good humor," she shrugged. "Now then, let me take you to your room."

Those were the last words Blake expected to hear from her captor.

"My... my room? You're not just going to throw me in some dusty closet?"

Half of her expected the girl to burst into flames again and grant Blake her wish.

But instead, the blonde looked away.

"Like I said," she muttered. "I've only really dealt with men. I don't know how to treat a girl, but... you sure as hell don't belong in some grungy closet. Unless that's what you'd prefer?"

She tilted her head to one side, and Blake could tell the girl was genuinely curious; she really didn't have any clue how to handle another girl.

"No," Blake said quickly. "A room is fine. Um... thank you."

It was beyond strange to be thanking this strange girl who had moments ago declared Blake her prisoner. She was almost starting to feel... more like a guest.

She shook her head, feeling somewhat delirious with all that had just happened. But she didn't have much time to think before there was a push to her back.

"Up you go," the blonde grunted.

Blake followed her gaze to find a tall staircase a few yards off to one side, the black steps outlined faintly by the moonlight cast down from a single window up above.

Blake took a step forward, but her legs were still aching, not to mention the quivering that raked her body. She couldn't help but be scared of what lie in store for her here at this castle.

The blonde girl had already made for the stairs, leaving the dark-haired girl behind. Blake could only call out to her back.

"Wait... I'm not sure if I can-"

"Then you'd rather have the closet?"

This time, Blake could see a hint of irritation in those eyes she'd since discovered to be lavender, and she feared making the blonde angry again.

"No. I'm coming..."

Leaning against the wall, Blake made her way toward the intimidating staircase. She climbed the steps much more slowly than the person she was following, and by the time the blonde had reached the top, Blake had only managed a fourth of the journey.

The other girl whipped around and snorted impatiently.

" _Hurry up!_ " she shouted, a veil of orange flames bursting around her.

Blake yelped when her boot slipped, her legs shaking too much. Had it not been for the guard rail, she would've tumbled all the day back down.

Clearly, this girl was prone to frequent bouts of anger, and it wasn't just whenever she felt threatened; irritation was a factor to this as well.

"I-I'm trying!" Blake called back, forcing herself to move a bit faster.

She watched as the other girl started to pace back and forth, huffing to herself as she waited. Blake needed to fight back tears, both from pain and fear as she ascended step by step.

When she only had several steps to go, she paused again, keeping her face down, trying to blink away the stinging tears and focus her vision. But it was dark, and she was exhausted and terrified...

She looked up briefly when she heard the stomping footsteps come to a sudden halt, and the glow of fire faded. Lavender eyes were locked on her once more, and this time, Blake could make out the concern in that peculiar gaze.

"Hey..." the girl muttered. "What's that? Why are you crying?"

Blake could tell the girl was stuck somewhere in between confusion and concern, but it could easily turn into rage if she answered wrong.

"I'm just tired," she said. "I can't go any faster than this."

"...Are you sure it's not because you're afraid of me?"

Blake didn't answer right away. She remained still, wiping a sleeve over her eyes before mustering a steadier voice.

"I _am_... afraid of you. I'm not going to lie."

She could see the girl's lips starting to curl into a snarl again, and she could imagine the words that might've been shouted next: _"Why are you afraid of me? Am I not being hospitable to you?!"_

But this time, the fire died away before it could ignite.

The girl in the yellow dress seemed to consider something for a moment before her expression relaxed, just a bit.

"Fine. I guess it's good that you didn't lie. You're smarter than the men."

"So I've been told," Blake muttered.

The other girl just snorted again.

"Hurry up."

Blake let out a trembling breath before she obeyed, continuing up the last of the steps.

When she reached the top, she swayed, but a hand grabbed hers and pulled her forward. There was no fire this time, so the contact didn't hurt.

She followed her captor down the second floor hallways, veering a left and continuing for a moment longer. Blake had to rush to keep up, lest she slow them down any more and risk the girl's ire.

At last they came to a halt, and Blake was released so the blonde could fumble through her pocket for that master key again. With it, she unlocked the door to reveal a simple room, consisting of a single bed, a dresser, mirror, and a window.

But the blonde girl was sure to quickly dissuade any ideas Blake might've been hatching.

"Don't even think about trying to climb out. We're up too high, and if you didn't break your neck falling, I might do it myself after I caught you."

"Don't worry," Blake muttered. "I won't try to escape. We made a deal."

"Good," she nodded, seeming satisfied with Blake's answer. "Now then, I'll prepare dinner. You're to come down to the kitchen in fifteen minutes to eat."

Blake couldn't even be shocked about the fact that this girl was going to prepare a meal for her. She felt her blood run cold in dismay; after all she'd been through this evening – being seized with crushing panic and fear, rushing through a wolf-infested forest to get here, signing her life away to this girl in exchange for Adam's freedom and forgiveness...

Blake simply just didn't believe she'd be able to make it back down and up that staircase again. Her chest was aching terribly, and all of her weight was against the doorframe now.

Still, she tried to be cautious about choosing her words.

"Thank you..." she wheezed. "But I'm not hungry. I'll... I'll skip supper, but thank you-"

She cut off with a gasp when the girl rounded on her, eyes already glowing red.

"What was that?" she spat. "I go out of my way to let your friend go, to allow you to _live here_ in comfort, to give you this room and offer you a meal, _and you refuse me?!_ "

The flames had burst forth again in a matter of seconds, wings like an eagle's spreading out behind her in glaring orange and furious red.

Blake pressed herself back against the wall.

"N-No!" she gasped. "I'm not, I-I just-"

But she was cut off by another roar.

"If you won't come out for dinner, then you won't come out _AT ALL!_ "

A snarl, and then there was a burning shove against her chest, sending her toppling backward into the room to collide with the floor. Blake cried out as all the pain of being thrown from the horse resurfaced with a vengeance, alongside a new searing sensation in her chest.

The door slammed and locked behind her, but she was hardly even aware of it.

It felt as though there was fire eating away at her from the inside out. She crumpled and curled in on herself, crying in agony.

But even when the burning finally subsided after several minutes, the ache in her chest and legs remained, and overall her body shuddered uncontrollably. She couldn't even swallow properly, and one cough led to another as she writhed on the floor, doubled over in sheer pain.

On top of the fear of her situation, the dread of never leaving this place, the terror of having to live every following day with the risk of being burned to death...

If she'd been able to make it to the window, Blake might have jumped.

* * *

Yang couldn't control her fury when it surfaced, and oftentimes it did so without good reason.

This was one of those times.

She hadn't been angry when the girl had refused supper; Yang could understand that she might not be hungry. But she simply _couldn't_ stop a feeling of rage from churning in her gut and rising up.

She always tried to suppress it, but never to any avail, and just now had been no different.

Angry words had jumped to her lips as though scripted by someone else, but she'd had no choice but to shout them anyway.

She felt the fire lapping at her back again, felt the girl – _Blake_ , the boy had called her – falling like a fragile vase at the force of her own palm.

The real reason Yang had locked her inside was to keep herself away.

She roared again, smashing her fist against the wall, wishing she could just be _quiet_. Blake was scared enough already, and Yang could hear her cries of pain. It only made Yang angrier at herself, because _she_ had caused that pain.

That was all she ever did.

She stormed down the hall, huffing and shaking herself as though trying to put out the flames on her own.

"Damn it!" she screamed.

Shouting felt better. It helped.

So she roared again and again, thrashing about and slamming herself against the walls until she exhausted her anger. The flames died away at long last, leaving her panting and sore.

But her mind was cleared now, and she vowed not to let the curse take control of her again - not tonight.

Slowly, like a wounded beast, she lumbered back to the room where she had left Blake. She'd hoped that by now the cries of pain would have stopped, but they persisted, weak and thin.

Yang was almost consumed with rage all over again for being the cause of it, but her fire was spent for now, and instead guilt and sadness took its place. Those didn't feel any more pleasant than the rage, but at least they didn't burn – Yang or anyone else.

She reached into her pocket and extracted the key, opening the door slowly before stepping inside.

Blake was curled on her side, gasping breaths that did little good for her past all the sobbing.

The second Yang entered, Blake's eyes flew open as she tried to sit up, scrambling to no avail. She was coughing and shaking too much to speak, but it was clear she was terrified.

Terrified of Yang.

She wasn't surprised. But Yang kept her features soft as she knelt down beside her, reaching out again.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I won't hurt you again. I know I... I said it before, and then I did, but... but I won't do it again. _I won't_."

She knew Blake would have ran from her had she been physically able to, but given her state now, she was like a trapped animal.

Yang hated touching her when she knew Blake didn't want her to, but she _had_ to.

Carefully, she slipped her arms beneath the girl's shoulders and knees and stood, lifting her easily into her arms. Yang was taken aback by the coughing and the shaking, violent shudders throbbing through Blake's form so strongly that Yang felt as though they were her own.

She brought her to the bed and laid her down, sitting beside her and looking into those terrified eyes with ones she hoped were repenting. Yang slid away the arm from beneath Blake's knees and brought it up to her cheek.

"See? I won't burn you anymore. I mean it."

She pulled away shortly afterward, realizing how much of an effect on Blake her presence seemed to be having. The fear hadn't left the girl's gaze for a second since Yang had entered the room, and the hand beneath Blake's back could feel a hammering pulse, one so fast and unnatural it caused Yang to recoil like a stricken animal.

"Sorry," she mumbled again. "I'm sorry. I'll leave. You don't have to come eat, okay? I wish... I wish I could let you go. I don't know why I _can't_. I don't wanna think about it too much and get mad again. Sorry. I know I hurt you. I'm sorry."

She turned away, ready to stand.

But a gentle pressure on her hand stopped her.

Blake's trembling hand laid on top of hers now, and those golden eyes blinked once, slowly in contrast to her heaving chest.

"You..." She sniffed and coughed, then tried again. "Y-You... didn't mean to. I know that," she rasped. "I can see it in your eyes. You don't... mean to do these things. You're trapped... aren't you?"

Yang's eyes went wide.

No one had ever bothered to pay attention to her enough to figure that much out before, let alone do it so quickly.

She wanted to sob with relief, but her curse didn't allow it.

So she simply nodded, utterly and terribly miserable.

"Yeah..." She bit her lip. "It's a curse. I... There's no way I can break it. I'm just waiting it out until..."

The hand on hers squeezed a little, and her gaze went to Blake's. The girl seemed to be asking her a silent question, one she couldn't find words for right now. Yang sighed and explained.

"Every time the fire ignites... it shortens what little life I have left. I-I don't _want_ to be angry all the time. It just happens. I can't help it... Sometimes I just want to let it burn me out, but... I don't wanna die... I'm so pathetic..."

The hand squeezed hers again.

"No..." Blake whispered. "No you're not. Nobody wants to die. You're not pathetic. That fear just means you're human."

"I'm not!" Yang snapped. "I'm not human! Don't call me that-!" But she quickly jerked her hand away from Blake's and brought it to her mouth, head drooping. "I'm sorry. S-See? It happened again. I can't control it. But I'm _trying.._." she whispered.

"I-I know I just sound like a filthy liar, someone who promises to be better and then just lapses back into violent tendencies... But I'm trying to get better, and I really mean it. No matter how fickle it sounds, _I mean it._ I don't wanna die. I wanna break this curse and get better. I'm trying, but... I just don't know _how_... I can't even cry..."

She thought she felt the rage boiling up once more, and she was about to bolt for the door.

But again, Blake stopped her. The dark-haired girl pushed herself up, wincing as she did so.

Yang watched her in confusion.

"Wh-What are you doing?"

Blake didn't answer her, but managed to sit herself up. She motioned Yang forward, and though the blonde hesitated, she eventually complied.

"May..." Blake cleared her throat. "To prove a point, may I touch you?"

Puzzled, Yang was about to refuse her. But the curiosity was too great.

"Yeah."

Blake smiled softly.

She then reached forward and pressed a palm over Yang's collar.

Yang didn't move, but simply waited, her eyes searching the other girl's.

A few seconds later, Blake nodded.

"I can feel it. I know you do, too," she murmured. "Your heart is proof that you're human. Even if you get angry a lot, even if you can't cry when you want to, you're still human. You... You make mistakes, and sometimes you can't fix them. But there's something to be said for trying. Only a human could."

Blake withdrew her hand, and Yang wished she hadn't.

"Why are you... saying these things?" she demanded. "I've done nothing but scare you and hurt you and take you as a prisoner. Why are you trying to make me feel better? You should hate me..."

"Because..." Blake said. "You don't deserve this curse any more than any other person does. You're doing your best with it. You haven't given up. You don't mean to hurt people, and I know you didn't mean to hurt me.

"In fact, you didn't hurt me much at all. Just for a few seconds by accident. Earlier, I was thrown from my horse in the woods. That's why I couldn't walk well and why it's a little hard to breathe. I know I'd said I was before, but... I'm not scared of you anymore."

Yang's eyes went wide as she listened.

"Wh-What do you mean? You're still hurt from that? Why didn't you mention that back on the staircase?"

"Because I was scared of you then," Blake admitted. "I'm not anymore. That's why I'm telling you the truth now."

Yang's jaw hung slack a bit before she shook her head again.

"Idiot! If you can't breathe right, you should've said something!"

"See?" Blake stopped her with a chuckle of sorts. "They always called you a beast, but what kind of a beast would show such concern for someone else? Especially a stranger. You're definitely human."

Yang snorted.

"Whatever, just- tell me what I can do," she demanded.

"Nothing," Blake told her. "I'll be fine after some rest, I'm sure."

Yang eyed her almost suspiciously.

"Then rest. I'll bring your supper to you. You've got to be hungry, right?"

Blake was silent for a moment.

"I really wasn't before. That wasn't a lie, I promise. But before, I think I was just too scared..." Her lips curved up into a small smile then, and Yang felt herself go stiff for reasons she couldn't comprehend. "But I'm not scared of you anymore," Blake repeated. "So... if you'd be so kind... I'll eat."

Yang perked up.

"Good. Just rest, okay? I'll bring you food." She stood and gently helped lay the girl back down. Their eyes met again, and Yang could only feel more guilt. "I really am sorry. I don't know when I might lose control again. If I do, I just... I want you to know I don't _mean_ it-"

"I understand," Blake murmured. "I really do... ah...?"

Yang realized she was looking to fill in the blank.

"Oh, um. My name's Yang."

"Yang..." Blake mumbled. "It's very pretty. Fitting."

Yang felt a warm feeling run through her chest when the girl spoke her name, but it wasn't the _uncomfortable_ warmth that suggested fire. It was a subtle heat, soft and gentle – pleasant.

Yang nodded and headed toward the door.

And for the first time since she'd been cursed, Yang smiled.

* * *

When Blake had been told she would be a prisoner at that castle, she never expected to be treated so kindly.

Even after the first night when Yang had come to her quietly with apologies and guilt, half of Blake had expected to suffer the angry wrath of flames many more times, simply because she felt the blonde girl couldn't control her curse.

But that night, Yang had brought supper to her room and helped her eat, and there had been no more outbursts.

The following morning, Blake had woken to a different castle than the one she'd been dragged into the night before.

When the sunlight slipped through the windows and patted her cheeks, Blake opened her eyes slowly, finding the once-dark room now bright and welcoming. The carpets and walls weren't black as they had looked last night, but were actually a bluish color.

Despite everything that had occurred, Blake had been exhausted enough to fall into a deep slumber, and her rest had found her refreshed, soreness gone.

She got out of bed, not sure if staying there for too long might upset Yang. When she reached the door, she remembered she'd likely been locked in, but an attempt on the knob found it turning.

Cautiously, she stepped out into the hallway, now well-lit and quiet. She wasn't quite sure where she should be going – where she was _expected_ to be going – but she figured the kitchen was a good start.

However, she had only managed several steps before she heard motion and footfalls coming up the stairs.

Blake froze, unsure if she should retreat back to her room, but she quickly realized there wasn't time; she'd meet Yang head-on.

She straightened up and waited for the girl to turn the corner.

Yang looked... so different in the sunlight, her dress creamy colors, her skin white, hair flowing like liquid gold.

And those peculiar eyes...

They remained lavender, even as Yang spotted her.

"Hey!" she called out. "What are you doing out of bed?" But her voice wasn't angry or outraged. In fact, Blake was surprised to hear the concern in her tone once more. Yang broke into a short run to cover the distance between them, reaching Blake in seconds. "You said you were in pain last night. I don't think you should be walking around by yourself."

The only hint of anger Blake could detect was there at the very end, and it was only present due to how worried she'd made Yang.

"I'm fine now," Blake reassured her. "I don't feel any pain anymore."

Yang was silent for a moment, as though dubious.

Blake held her ground as the blonde reached forward, fingertips lightly brushing against her collar – Blake recognized that had been the spot where Yang had burned her last night.

"Are you... sure?" she murmured.

Slowly, Blake lifted her own hand and found Yang's with it, curling their fingers together gingerly.

"Yes. I'm sure."

Yang paused for another moment, and Blake could feel her tightening and loosening the interlocking grip of their fingers, experimenting with the strange new feeling.

Blake wasn't opposed when she didn't let go either.

"Then come on," Yang grunted. "I'll _help_ you with the staircase this time. Breakfast is almost ready."

She kept hold of Blake's hand as they reached the staircase, and though she was confident she really was fine now, Blake still took her time. Yang went step by step with her, the patience in her eyes a complete contrast to the frustration of last night.

Together, they reached the bottom before long, and Yang led the way to the kitchen.

Only when she needed to serve the food did she let go of Blake's hand; throughout the meal, it was clear that Yang missed the feeling of her hand, and Blake couldn't deny she felt the same.

Once finished, they cleaned their dishes together. An accidental splash on Yang's dress had Blake stiffening, fearing the worst. But the other girl only laughed and splashed her back.

In the end, they needed to dry off more than dishes, but it was more than worth it.

Once they'd finished, Yang took her hand again, as though she'd really been missing it in her own.

"I want to show you something," she said.

She led Blake along the halls of the lowest floor, halting in front of a large door. When Yang opened it, Blake felt her jaw drop, and her eyes go wide.

Shelves upon shelves of books of every size, age, and color looked back at her, the scent of parchment and ink filling her lungs with every breath.

Yang squeezed her hand lightly.

"Do... Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Blake gasped. "I _love_ it! This is incredible, Yang!"

"Heh. I kinda figured you were a book girl."

And that was how they spent their first day together.

Blake roamed the library with Yang at her side, pulling out random volumes to inspect, and sometimes to read. When Yang asked her to, Blake would read out loud, but other times they would sit together in silence and scan the pages.

The daylight seemed to dwindle in a matter of minutes rather than hours, and when it came time to depart from the room, Blake sighed.

But there was a smile on her face as she took Yang's hand once more and stood.

"Thanks for showing me this," she murmured.

She sort of meant the library, but for the most part, she meant to thank Yang for showing... another side of herself - the quieter girl who smiled and laughed and told bad jokes.

Yang seemed to know what she meant, because a melancholy smile curled her lips.

"Until last night, I didn't know it existed," she confessed.

* * *

The following day at breakfast was the first time Blake met Zwei.

He scampered in barking, effectively startling her.

"I didn't know you had a dog," she said nervously, pulling her legs up onto her chair.

Yang calmed the dog with a firm word and he settled for curling up at her feet.

"Yeah," she mumbled. "He was recovering yesterday."

"Recovering?" Blake glanced down at the dog, noticing one of his front legs was sticking out a little awkwardly.

"Yeah," Yang grunted again. "That boy of yours kicked him..."

Blake felt the temperature in the room starting to increase, and she quickly let words tumble out of her mouth.

"He's fine now, though," she reassured. "And Adam's not my boy. He's like a brother to me."

Yang quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" She bent down to scoop Zwei into her arms, kissing his head.

Blake was relieved to feel the heat dying down a bit.

Now, she was focused on the way Yang was handling the dog, in a way she never would have believed "the beast in the castle" could. It was like how she'd treated Blake on the first night once the fire had subsided - surprisingly soft and tender.

Blake must have been smiling.

"What's so funny?" Yang demanded.

"Your dog really loves you," she noted as he licked Yang's face.

"Yeah. He's the only one," Yang sighed. "All the other animals are scared of me. But not Zwei."

"All others are scared? I'm sure that's not true..." Blake trailed off as an idea came to mind. "Let me prove it to you."

She encouraged Yang to leave cleaning the dishes for later, grabbing a piece of bread from the table and beckoning the blonde down the hall. Yang let Zwei down and watched him hobble off to find someplace to rest before she followed Blake.

The girl knew by now where the back doors of the castle were, and she led Yang to them and pushed them ajar.

A small, leaf-covered courtyard stretched before them with the brown forest just beyond it.

Blake took the bread she'd brought along and began tearing it into tiny pieces and spreading them on the ground before them. She could feel Yang about to ask what she was doing, and she hushed her gently, taking her hand and guiding the blonde back a step.

They waited for several minutes, but Blake was confident it would work.

But despite the patience Yang had built up over these past two days, she could only withstand the cold outside for so long.

"Blake, what-"

"Shh... look."

She nodded forward just as a sparrow flew out from a nearby bush, twittering softly as it found the bread crumbs. Within seconds, it was followed by other birds, until a dozen or so had gathered to eat.

Yang couldn't contain her voice.

"Oh, wow!"

"Shhh..."

Yang's voice had scared a fraction of the birds, but most remained. After that, she was sure to whisper.

"I never thought it was possible to get so close to them," she murmured. "I thought they'd be scared of me."

"They're scared of most humans. It's only natural," Blake shrugged. "But if we can understand them, sometimes we might luck out."

Blake tore a bit of the remaining bread off and crouched down. A few of the sparrows jumped away, but the others observed her. She outstretched her palm where the bread rested, moving with extreme slowness.

Then she waited, breathing slowly, still as a statue.

It took a few moments, but eventually, one of the sparrows hopped into her hand to take the bread in its beak before fluttering back to the flock to eat it.

Blake heard Yang stifle herself.

"Oh my gosh!" she whispered. "How did you _do_ that? Magic?"

Blake chuckled.

"Not magic. Just patience." She took Yang's hand and dropped the last few bits of bread into it before having her crouch down beside her. "Just slowly, slowly reach out to them. No sudden movements." She guided Yang's arm with one hand, keeping her other hand on the girl's back. "That's it," she whispered. "Just be still."

It took a bit longer for the birds to take interest in Yang, and Blake could only assume it was because they sensed the cursed energy around her.

But after just a bit longer, a sparrow darted in to take a bit of bread from her, followed shortly by a second one.

Had it not been for Blake's hand supporting her, she was sure Yang would have fallen over.

"Oh my gosh!" she all but squealed, throwing her arms around Blake in excitement. "I did it! I really did it!"

To say Blake was surprised was an understatement, but she didn't mind it at all. She chuckled and patted Yang's back and shoulders.

"Well done. That was incredible."

It was then Yang seemed to realize what she was doing and quickly pulled away, apologizing.

"Sorry..."

But Blake shook her head and smiled.

"It's okay."

Clearly, Yang had never heard those words so many times before in her life. Blake saw the hesitance in her eyes, but behind it was an eager desire.

"Really? Th-Then can I-"

"Of course."

Blake opened her arms invitingly.

It was strange; as a child, she'd never been one for physical contact, not from Adam or anyone else. So why was it so tempting with this lonely, cursed girl? She had to wonder...

Yang leaned in slowly, as if unsure.

Blake offered encouragement.

"It's okay. I know you won't hurt me."

If there could exist a sob from one who couldn't cry, she heard it from Yang just then.

The blonde hugged her again, pulling her in tightly, reminding Blake she had probably never done such a thing before in all her life.

Because no one had ever let her or told her it was okay.

Blake was sure to return it, her hands resting over Yang's hair and back, not at all worried of being burned again.

There was a warmth between them, but it was gentle, like on the first night. It was just body heat - two people sharing an intimate proximity and offering all they had to give.

She didn't want Yang to have to keep apologizing every time she touched her. Blake was intent to make that a reality.

Even as Blake stood, she made sure to keep the girl in her arms for a while longer.

Finally, Yang took a step back, though Blake knew if the cold hadn't demanded it, she might've lingered.

"Let's go back in," the blonde said.

Blake nodded and followed her to the library once more.

For the remainder of the day, they curled up on the floor side-by-side, reading. When Yang got tired of it, she leaned against Blake's shoulder and closed her eyes. Blake couldn't imagine the girl ever got a peaceful night's sleep, so she was certain to let Yang rest now for as long as she needed to.

She finished a few books within those hours until Yang yawned. At that point, Blake closed her current volume.

"Did you sleep well?"

She helped Yang sit up straight again as the girl rubbed her eyes.

"Better than I have in years," she confessed. "Do you wanna help me make dinner?"

"I'd love to."

They stood, stretched, and put away their books before their hands inevitably came together once more, and they headed for the kitchen.

They cleaned this morning's dishes before starting on the soup. Blake chopped vegetables Yang had told her she'd grown herself in better weather, and Yang added seasonings to make the broth flavorful.

When Zwei was able to, Yang let him out to hunt rabbits to bring back, but for now he was to settle for vegetables and other scraps.

The finished product was beyond what Blake had expected, and she was admittedly surprised.

They ate at their leisure, talking softly, Blake giving the occasional chuckle for a bad joke Yang offered.

When they'd finished, Yang took the dishes and fed the leftover vegetables to Zwei, but he wouldn't accept the bread.

"I'll toss it outside for the birds," Blake offered.

Yang paused for a moment at the sink, and for a second, Blake thought she might refuse her for fear that Blake might try to escape.

But Yang cleared her throat and nodded.

"Just be quick."

"I will."

Blake hurried out of the kitchen and down the halls to the back door, pushing it open with her shoulder. She was met with a frigid breeze and a dark world; she hadn't realized how late it had gotten.

It was almost disconcerting how the prospect of escape seemed distasteful to her.

It wasn't even the dangerous woods or fear of Yang's anger that dissuaded her. In fact, it wasn't fear of any kind that was keeping her here.

Rather, what prevented her from attempting to flee was actually... she didn't really _want_ to.

In only two days, she had learned more about "the beast in the castle" than villages had learned in years. She had a special connection with Yang, one she didn't want to see broken if she could help it.

If she betrayed her and tried to run, she didn't know if Yang would set the world on fire or burn herself out altogether.

Either way, she wasn't intent to find out.

She broke apart the bread and stepped out into the dusty courtyard, a bit further than she had gone this morning with Yang. She ventured out toward the little bushes where the birds tended to take shelter, and Blake sprinkled the crumbs for them to find in the morning.

She clapped her hands together to dislodge the last of the crumbs before she prepared to head back inside.

But sounds from the forest froze her dead in her tracks.

She didn't even have to look up to know they were here.

Wolves – an entire pack, prowling along the edge of the forest. She could hear them treading in the snow, snarling hungrily.

With painful slowness, Blake turned her head toward the castle doors, still open, but much farther away than she expected them to be.

She didn't know if she should risk calling for help, but she _did_ know her voice would encourage them to attack. Trying to run would undoubtedly yield similar results, and she knew she was no match for a wolf's speed.

But she didn't get the chance to come to a decision.

As if by some unseen command, they burst forward, pelting toward her over the open expanse of the courtyard in a clever formation, swift and ravenous.

Blake could only turn and run, sprinting for the castle as quickly as her legs allowed.

It was almost pitiful how quickly they caught up to her. A powerful resistance pulled at her dress, yanking her down into the dirt with a scream.

" _No!_ "

She kicked at them and thrashed her arms, rolling just out of range of the snapping jaws, but she couldn't get up quickly enough. One pounced her from the front, pinning her onto her back, the weight of its body crushing the breath from her lungs.

Blake closed her eyes-

But the next snarl didn't come from a wolf.

For the second time, she bore witness to a single girl striking terror into a pack of the vicious, feral animals.

She opened her eyes to find Yang stepping out into the courtyard.

She was seething.

The wolf on top of Blake seemed to have forgotten her as it suddenly climbed off and backed away, yelping.

It was then Blake realized this was why Yang had told her to come back inside quickly - not for fear she'd escape, but for fear she'd be attacked.

She could see the familiar orange glow enveloping Yang now, the rage she hadn't witnessed at all yesterday now ready to return full-force.

Blake could only recall what Yang had told her about the curse:

 _"Every time the fire ignites... it shortens what little life I have left..."_

She had to stop Yang.

"No!" she shouted breathlessly. "Yang, it's okay, you don't have to-"

But her outcry set off the wolf again, and it leapt on top of her, tearing at her dress. Blake only wrestled it for a second before she felt an intense heat wafting from above.

 _"GET AWAY FROM HER!"_ Yang bellowed.

The fire blazed furiously, until the images of those flickering wings expanded to either side of her body. She lunged forward and snarled at the wolf, and it released Blake instantly before tearing off. The others followed suit, yelping in retreat as their tails vanished between the trees.

Yang roared again and sent searing curses after them. Blake could only curl in on herself and sob.

"No... Yang no, _don't_..."

It was clear to her now that Yang really didn't have a lot of time left. Her fire only burned for a moment before Yang suppressed it once more, but the girl collapsed to her knees, panting and covered in sweat.

The curse was taking its toll on her.

"Blake...?" she whispered. "Blake? Are you okay? I didn't... I didn't burn you again, did I? I'm sorry- I didn't-!"

"Yang, no..." Blake tried to push herself up, but she was shaking far too much. "You didn't. I-I'm just..." She hoped Yang could understand without her having to say it.

At the very least, the blonde seemed relieved at the fact that she hadn't hurt Blake herself.

"Are you... did they get you? Where does it hurt, Blake?"

Blake inhaled slowly, trying to stop her tears.

"It doesn't hurt. There's no blood. You saved me, Yang. I'm just... cold..."

And it was the truth. She was merely shaken from the attack, and distraught that Yang had been forced to use her fire for something like this - something that easily could have been avoided.

It was Blake's fault.

And she hated that Yang didn't blame her for it.

"C'mere..." the blonde murmured.

Blake felt familiar arms slip beneath her body, pulling her into a bridal carry. But she could feel Yang stumble; she was growing weaker now as the curse drained her.

Blake could only cling to her shoulders and cry into the side of her neck as Yang brought her back inside, pushing her weight into the doors to close them.

Yang carried her back to the living area, where a fire burned in the hearth. She was laid down on the couch nearby, and once Yang had let Blake down, she dropped heavily to her knees on the carpet.

Blake pushed herself up quickly, voice laden with fear.

"Yang?" She looked the girl over, finding her still panting for breath.

But when Yang looked up and met her eyes, there was no anger there like Blake wished there'd be, no blame for her. Only exhaustion and fear.

She hated it.

"Are you okay...?" Blake wheezed, furiously wiping away her own tears.

It wasn't fair. She wanted Yang to be able to cry, too. She _needed_ to.

And yet, Blake was forced to watch her like this, with only anguish in her eyes, but no way to alleviate it.

"I'm good," Yang huffed unconvincingly. "Just t-tired all of a sudden."

Blake sniffed, wiping her face once more.

"Yeah..." she mumbled. "You look tired. Maybe we should sleep."

Yang nodded, seeming content just to keep her head bowed.

Blake took the time to stop her tears as best she could, and after a moment, Yang looked up to her again.

"Blake?"

The dark-haired girl swallowed.

"What is it?"

She didn't know what to expect, but it hadn't been what Yang asked of her next.

"Remember... the first night you stayed here?" she asked. "You... did something..." Yang trailed off, bringing a hand to her chest where Blake's palm had been two nights ago. Her tired lavender eyes went back to find gold. "Would it be okay if I... felt yours, too?"

Blake said nothing for a moment. But she didn't have to think about it; she let herself act without the burden of thought.

She reached down and took Yang's hand in hers before lifting it up, and nodded in consent.

Slowly, Yang pressed her palm beneath the girl's throat. Blake didn't flinch at all; she knew Yang wouldn't burn her, not even by accident.

Yang kept her hand there for a moment, and when Blake got too embarrassed to meet her eyes, she closed her own. She heard Yang sigh softly.

"It's really fast..." the girl mumbled.

Blake nodded.

"Yeah... It'll be fine in a bit."

Still, Yang kept her hand in place. Blake only opened her eyes again when she heard her name.

"Blake?"

"...Yes?"

"Can I listen?"

Blake didn't know where this was coming from, but she could understand Yang's feelings. They weren't very different from Blake's own.

"Sure."

She opened her arms, and Yang slid closer, fitting between her knees. She wrapped her arms around Blake's waist, replacing the hand on her collar with her ear.

Yang closed her eyes and pressed close, shifting her head a bit until she found the spot with the strongest pulse.

Blake hugged her shoulders, resting her chin atop Yang's head as she closed her eyes. She felt Yang squeeze her tighter around the waist.

"Blake? Are you okay? Your heart's really pounding."

"It's fine," she muttered. "It's... not for bad reasons anymore..."

That seemed to make Yang feel better. She sighed and pressed herself closer, and Blake pulled her in, cradling her gently.

"I'm glad you're okay," Yang murmured.

"...I wish... I could say the same..." Blake whispered. "But you're not okay, are you, Yang? I'm sorry. This is all my fault... that you used the fire again..."

Yang felt the girl start to shake again, the rhythm beneath her ear thumping harder until it was uncomfortable to feel.

"It's not your fault," she murmured. "In only these few days, you've taught me so much, Blake. You've made me feel human again. I don't have any right to be saying it, but... there's no other way I'd rather spend the rest of my days than with you."

Blake sobbed again, failing to hold back more tears.

"You taught me so much, too... I'm sorry I... can't help you... I wish I could..."

Yang squeezed her again.

"You've already done more than you could ever imagine."

Blake bit her lip, weeping every tear Yang wasn't allowed to. The crackling of the fireplace flames took a constant residency in the back of her mind, and she closed her eyes again.

A moment later, Yang's thin voice sounded again.

"Hey, Blake...?"

She squeezed her tighter.

"Yes?"

Yang's voice was barely audible now.

"It shouldn't be much longer now... After that, you can go. You'll be free... But until then..." she rasped. "Will you stay with me...? Until my last day...?"

Blake choked on a sob as she replied.

"Yes..."

She felt Yang release a long sigh.

"Thank you..."

Blake wept into the blonde's hair, hugging her tightly. Yang held her and listened for a long while, until the shaking stopped and Blake's heartbeat began to slow.

When Blake got ahold of herself once more, she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

"We should sleep," she whispered.

"Are you warm?" Yang asked. "You said before... that you were cold."

Blake nodded.

"Yes. I'm very warm now. Thank you, Yang."

"Alright," Yang said, pulling away from her chest. "Then we'll sleep here tonight, by the fireplace."

Blake nodded, but didn't tell Yang that the fire wasn't what was making her warm.

She pulled her legs up onto the couch, but Yang hesitated. Blake smiled up at her and motioned for her to lie down. Yang looked uncertainly into her gaze.

"Are you sure I won't hurt you?"

"I'm more than sure."

Blake trusted her, and she was glad Yang finally seemed to believe that.

Yang sat down by the girl's hip and pulled her legs up before making one final request.

"Can I listen a while longer?"

Blake opened her arms again.

"Sure."

Yang laid herself down slowly, draping her body over Blake's and laying her head over her collar once more. Blake hugged her back tightly, and Yang sighed again.

"I love listening to your heart. It makes a nice sound. It feels nice."

"I'm glad."

Blake closed her eyes, too tired to worry herself with thoughts of the possible consequences of what she was doing. She must've been insane, to fall in love with a cursed girl, and to accept that Yang had fallen for her, too.

It was only going to hurt them both in the end.

She knew that.

She _knew_ that... but...

Yang feel asleep in her arms, soft and quiet and warm.

The shouting, raging, stomping girl wasn't Yang.

 _This_ was Yang.

Blake listened to the crackling of the fire some more, feeling the soft breaths fill and leave Yang's body.

She hugged the girl tighter one last time and succumbed to sleep as well, saving her troubles for tomorrow.

* * *

Adam had made a vow to himself.

After the beast in the castle had traded him for Blake, he'd found his horse outside the castle, and had waited until morning before departing back through the woods to the village.

That had been two days ago.

Now, he was rested and prepared as he mounted his steed, a belt full of sharp knives at his disposal.

He had vowed to himself not to return to the village until the beast inside the castle was dead.

That morning, he headed off through the woods on the hillside, for what would be the final time.

* * *

Yang roused herself before the sunrise, eyelids lifting slowly as she took in the room around her, lit only by the glow of the fire.

Blake's heart thumped softly beneath her ear, and for a time, she simply lay there and listened, selfishly engraving that rhythm into her mind.

When at last she managed to peel herself away from the sleeping girl, it took her a while to adjust to things without that heartbeat pressed to her ear. She climbed off Blake and covered her with a quilt, but couldn't resist putting a soft kiss to her cheek.

Yang retreated up the staircase and veered to the right, opposite of the room where Blake had stayed before.

This had been the first morning, and last night had been the first night when she hadn't seen that rose as the first and last things.

Perhaps that was why she was being so severely punished when she looked upon it now.

Beneath its glass covering, the rose had shed every petal but one.

Yang clutched both hands to her chest and fell to her knees, doubling over in pain she couldn't express through tears, her forehead brushing the carpet.

Had she never met Blake, this wouldn't hurt so terribly.

And yet, had it not been for Blake, her final days in this world would never have been blessed with such joy, such warmth, and such understanding.

If that was what she got to feel on her final days, then the recklessness was worth its consequence.

* * *

When Blake woke that morning, she was alone on the couch, though a quilt had been draped over her.

She missed the warmth and pressure of Yang's form, but a faint scent of food told her the blonde was preparing breakfast now. Zwei was in the room to greet her, and Blake smiled a bit when she saw that his injured leg didn't seem to be bothering him anymore.

When she ventured to the kitchen, she found Yang had just finished their food. Soft words of concern for the other were murmured between them, palms on cheeks as they each told the other they were fine.

And yet, both found it hard to believe.

They ate in silence, feeding scraps of food to the dog.

Blake didn't know if going to the library would do them any good; the silence didn't seem to be helping either of them.

So when they had finished, she coaxed Yang out into the parlor, shoes clicking over tile. The blonde hadn't smiled at all this morning – not truly, anyway - only the forced, plastered kind that made Blake's heart hurt.

She knew something was wrong, but she refused to think of it.

She stopped once the two of them were in the center of the floor.

Yang's eyes were puzzled, but it was much more favorable than the dullness Blake had seen all through breakfast. She brought Yang's hand to her hip and kept a firm grasp of the other, while Blake's free hand went to the blonde's shoulder.

They didn't need words.

Slowly, they began to dance, albeit clumsily on Yang's part. But Blake led her slowly, pulling her back or to the side, moving her in circles.

The choppy motions soon became smoother as Yang caught on, the yellows and purples of their respective dresses fluttering about their ankles.

Blake smiled all the while, but it wasn't until she saw Yang do the same when she finally let herself laugh.

Their motions gradually got quicker, more lively, as Yang matched her step for step.

Stepping, twirling, spinning – they did it all, until at last they both came to a silent mutual agreement to pause.

Yang pulled Blake in by the waist, until their bodies pressed together, chests heaving to catch air. Blake rested her head on the other's shoulder for a moment, until she felt Yang nudge her gently.

It was tentative and shy when their eyes met, but each knew what the other wanted, because she wanted it too.

Eyes closed, chins tilted, breaths met as lips hovered against lips...

Blake leaned in that final inch-

-but she was met with nothing.

Yang sagged in her arms, an uncharacteristic moan flying from her lips as she collapsed to her knees.

Blake's heart stopped.

Desperately, she got down beside her, holding Yang up beneath her arms as she tried to look into her eyes.

But they were closed, her forehead once more covered in sweat, and Blake whimpered again.

"No..." she rasped, dread crashing over her. "No... Yang no, please..."

It shouldn't have surprised her. Yang had told her of the effects of her curse.

Blake just... hadn't expected it to be happening so frequently or so soon.

"Yang...?"

Carefully, she brought the girl's head to her chest, letting Yang listen to the frantic beat of Blake's heart, hoping it could somehow ease her pain.

Yang sighed against her. Blake squeezed the girl tighter when she felt her start to shiver.

Yang _never_ shivered. She was always so warm...

Weak arms encircled Blake's waist, the contact so fragile it was almost non-existent. Her voice was even frailer:

"Blake... you're scared... 'm sorry..."

Blake held a kiss to her temple.

"Yes, I'm scared. For you, Yang. P-Please don't do this- don't let this happen..."

She knew she was asking impossible things, being unreasonable. In reality, Blake knew all too well how helpless she was to stop this, but she stubbornly refused to admit it.

"Yang, _please_... don't... don't die..."

She never heard Yang's response.

A rattling at the entrance doors startled her, and instinctively she held Yang closer.

"No..." Blake whimpered. "No, no- Yang! Yang, you've got to get up!"

Frantically, she lifted herself onto her knees, trying to support the other girl as well. But Yang was all but deadweight now, and Blake wasn't even certain if she could hear her.

"Yang?!"

She glanced back over her shoulders toward the doors. The locks were being undone by an expert blade, one who had seen them from the inside and knew how to best each one.

"Adam..."

Blake's voice was as lifeless as Yang's body felt to her now. She knew he of all people wouldn't listen to reason, even from her. When he was mad, he got as explosive as Yang once had.

But now...

"Yang..."

Blake crumpled over the girl in her arms, petting through her tangled golden hair, turning her over so she may see her face. With her sleeve, she wiped the cold sweat off of the girl's brow, slowly and quietly in contrast to the violently shaking doors behind them.

Tears welled over and fell one by one onto Yang's face, and Blake whispered her name again.

Lavender eyes blinked slowly open that time, at the very same instant when the castle doors flung open.

Blake yelped as she shielded Yang with her own body, hearing Adam huff as he burst through.

"Adam!" she cried out. She got his attention immediately.

"Blake! You're alive!" He'd been about to rush to her, but froze when he saw what was in her lap. "Blake, get back!" he barked.

She watched in horror as he drew a long dagger from his belt.

"No!" she screamed. "Adam, please! You can't!"

"Do you hear yourself?" he bellowed. "She's a monster, Blake! Her head's worth a million lien! She kidnapped us both and you wanna _defend_ her? Snap out of it, Blake! She put a spell on you!" His voice lowered as he approached them. "Besides. Looks like she's just about gone anyway."

Blake turned her head to glance down at Yang once more, fresh tears falling down her cheeks in tiny rivers.

"No..."

"Blake, come on. We're going home," Adam grunted, sheathing his blade. "I... I won't kill her, alright? Just leave her here. She won't last till evening."

"No..." Blake whimpered again. But when she felt his hand grab her shoulder, she shook him off as her voice rose into a shriek. "No! Don't touch me!"

Too late, she slammed a palm to her mouth, realizing what she'd said, what she'd done.

Yang's eyes flew open, all traces of lavender gone.

Only crimson remained.

Her body glowed with a garish orange light, her hair steaming like the flames of a wildfire. Her eyes locked on Adam, and Blake could sense the fury more than the heat.

" _You_..." Yang snarled at him.

Adam scrambled back, dropping his blade in the process. Wings of fire unfurled from Yang's back. Blake screamed and tried to hold onto her.

"No! Yang, _don't_!"

She didn't care if she burned to death. She'd go with Yang.

But the blonde slipped out of her grasp, her wings of flame lifting her body into the air until her shoes were suspended off the floor. Her angry gaze never left Adam's face.

"She said... Blake said not to touch her..." she growled, fire streaming from her mouth. _"GET OUT OF HERE!"_

The fire surged like an explosive volcano, reaching higher than Blake had ever seen it before, licking at the ceiling of the castle. She whipped around to meet Adam's horrified gaze.

"Run!" she screamed at him. "Get out, now!"

"Come with me!"

"No!" she said. "She wants me to stay. But you've got to get out! _Now!_ "

Adam held her gaze, and Blake's was stern. He seemed to realize that she understood much more about the situation than he did, and with a small nod, he accepted her judgement.

Without another word, he fled and disappeared out the doors.

With him gone, Blake gave her full attention back to the ruler of the castle.

"Yang..." she called softly. "I'm okay now."

A red gaze met with hers. Blake could see a dullness past the fury, as though Yang's body were just a vessel for the flames now.

She may have already been gone.

A sigh escaped those red lips, followed by a long trail of white smoke.

And then the massive flames were gone, as though doused by unseen rainwater, nothing but the dying sparks remaining. Grey dust and soot filled the air around her before peppering the floor below.

The wings that had held her up vanished, and Yang plummeted.

Blake reached up to catch her, sinking to her knees at the impact, and cradling Yang's head in her arms as she sobbed freely over her now.

"Yang... Yang? I'm sorry... It's my fault..."

There was no doubt in Blake's mind that the final rose petal had fallen.

The words she'd shouted at Adam had been what put Yang on what must've been her final rampage.

Like any star – even the sun – all she could inevitably do was burn out.

Blake wept, shudders raking her body as pain tore through her chest.

Yang was cold.

There was no subtle, human warmth anymore, and at this point Blake would have gladly welcomed the searing heat of her flames if it meant having Yang back.

But she knew she couldn't.

Even when she quieted her sobs long enough to lay her ear over Yang's chest, she failed to feel or hear a pulse.

Blake had wished that Yang would be able to touch her one day without feeling the need to apologize.

And yet now, apologies were all Blake could give to her.

Her hands cupped those pale, ashen cheeks, as she pressed her forehead to Yang's, feeling each stinging tear drip down her nose one by one, transferring to Yang's face.

Blake had cried more in these past three days than in all her life before setting foot into the castle.

She realized she had cried for all the times Yang never could.

And she continued to do so now, shoulders shaking as one hand clutched Yang's dress and the other cradled the back of her head.

And all she had were apologies.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Yang. I'm sorry..."

When she choked on her words, she swallowed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she lifted her face away. She felt hollow and barren inside, each thump of her heart now dull – meaningless – without Yang to share it with.

Grief and pain swirled in her watery eyes along with something else.

But once that was gone, Blake knew she herself would be more or less dead as well.

She needed to tell Yang just one last thing.

She shifted, bringing the blonde closer into her lap, the fingers of one hand curling through her hair while the others tilted her delicate chin upward.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered again. "I love you, Yang."

She covered the last inch between them, pressing her lips to Yang's, sharing a single breath of warmth with her.

But when she pulled away, Yang was still cold.

Blake curled herself over Yang's chest and wailed.

She cried until she physically couldn't anymore, until her eyes stung worse than any burn, until her chest was twisted with suffocating agony.

Worse still, her mind was playing tricks on her.

She thought she could hear a faint thumping from below her, coming from Yang.

She pulled away, shaking her head furiously.

But her own heart was beating too quickly, which indicated that it wasn't her own pulse Blake was hearing now.

Before she could lean in to listen again, a sudden flare of warmth shot through Yang's body. Her sickly-pale skin was now suddenly painted with a bright, peachy color, and the previously-ashen hue of her hair was a vibrant gold once more.

Blake's voice echoed softly.

"Yang...?"

More tears fell, some onto Yang's chest, and some onto the tile around her, now covered in black soot.

No... not soot.

Ashes.

And then it hit her.

A curse.

Ashes.

Wings of flame.

Blake trembled as she breathed a single word:

" _Phoenix_..."

Her eyes went back to Yang's, hoping, praying...

Stillness.

And then they opened, soft lavender pools that locked with gold immediately, as though Blake's eyes had been all she'd been seeking in the moments of darkness that had previously frozen her.

Blake held her breath, holding back the tears with great effort.

"Yang...?"

The blonde released a shaky breath, but her lips smiled, recognition lighting her eyes.

"Blake..."

At the sound of her name, she nodded.

"Yeah..." she whispered, voice wobbling, threatening to break.

Yang pushed herself up off the floor, and in one swift motion, threw her arms around Blake, gasping softly. Blake clung to her back and hair, her voice hoarse and thin.

"Yang... I'm here..."

"And... I guess I am, too," Yang mumbled. "But how...? The rose's last petal fell..."

Blake shrugged against her, pulling her closer.

"Your curse..." she croaked. "You... you got a second chance, Yang. A new beginning... that's what defines a phoenix, after all."

Yang was silent for a moment, thinking through Blake's words, savoring the feeling of the heart beating in time with hers.

"A new beginning... a second chance..." she whispered. "I... never would have wanted such things if not for you, Blake. I'm not even sure if I deserve them now..."

"Don't be stupid." Blake hugged her tighter still. "Of course you do. You deserve it more than anyone, Yang... and I'm... I'm _so_ relieved you got it..." She turned her face into the side of Yang's neck and wept. "I'm p-probably just being selfish... in fact that's all I'm being... but I _need_ you, Yang."

The arms around her waist hugged her just as tightly in return.

"I... I need you, too," Yang confessed. "More than... anything, Blake. I-"

She stopped, choking on a breath.

Blake pulled back - startled - worry in her eyes when she heard the girl's breath hitch.

But what she saw next only made her smile.

Tears were falling freely down Yang's cheeks, leaving trails of wetness behind on her skin.

Both girls were speechless.

Blake watched as the blonde lifted shaking hands to her face, her fingers caressing the liberating droplets she'd been denied shedding for so long.

Blake sobbed happily and threw her arms around Yang, feeling her do the very same.

"Yang... I'm so happy for you..."

"Blake... _Blake_...!"

Their tears sprinkled over the ashes that remained, but a breeze from the open castle doors soon swept the dust away.

Blake wasn't aware of how much time had passed, and frankly she didn't care.

She had Yang back, and that was all she'd ever need.

Clearly, the feeling was mutual.

Yang kept repeating her name, chanting it like a prayer.

"Blake... Blake... I can't believe it..." she cried. "It's broken... the curse is broken..." She sniffled, letting out more warm tears. "But... But now what...?" she murmured. "We... do we stay here? I don't know if I can come back to the village with you. I don't wanna put you in danger, I just-"

"Yang," Blake murmured. She rubbed soothing circles over the girl's back as she slowly pulled away, finding her eyes. "I won't be in danger. And neither will you. We'll leave this castle – the place of your confining curse. We'll take Zwei with us back to the village and... you'll live with me. Okay?"

She hugged Yang once more, feeling her nod.

Yang inhaled a shaking breath against her chest.

"Okay..." she whispered.

Blake held her until she stopped trembling, until the tears had slowed and ceased for the both of them. She held Yang close, refusing to let go.

Not again.

Yang sighed and pulled back just enough to see Blake's face.

"Blake... I don't... I don't think I should be saying this, but I can't... I can't fight it any longer. I feel like I might explode if I don't say it. Blake... Blake, I-"

"Shh..." she breathed. "Don't force yourself. Breathe, Yang."

Blake held the blonde girl up as she sniffled, shook her head, and tried again.

"Blake... Blake... I- I-" She hesitated again.

Blake understood this was hard for her - for someone who didn't believe she'd ever deserve it for as long as she lived.

But Blake wanted to show her she was glad to let Yang have it.

"I know," she whispered. "I know, Yang. Me, too."

She showed rather than said it.

Blake leaned in and kissed her, feeling the reaction this time.

Yang whimpered against her mouth, but it was acceptance rather than fear.

No more fear.

She returned the kiss full-force, pouring a warmth into Blake's heart like no other.

And the way Yang breathed sobs of relief allowed Blake to believe she was doing the same for her.

They didn't need to say it.

It was clear enough.

The promises the future held were put on hold for a few moments; they would get to those when they were ready.

But for now, they simply held one another, caught tears, shared gazes, and kissed again, kindling a new warmth between them - a soft gentle flame born of fresh embers.

This was all they'd ever need.

* * *

 **A/N: As you could see, this was very closely related to the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. I tried to keep as many elements as possible. But more than that, I wanted Yang's curse to allude to the struggles of handling someone with conditions and complications when dealing with anger, Blake's acceptance and patience with her being the 'cure'. And I kept Blake as the human because she was Belle, and as the beast, Yang was given a phoenix curse.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! The final chapter will be Yang's!**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	4. The Runaway And The Aristocrat

**This is the final chapter for my Fairytale AU, and it admittedly gave me the most trouble to write. For the most part, it doesn't have many things relating to Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, but you'll see a few things hinted at here and there.**

 **This is the "summer" chapter.**

 **Warnings for implied sexual harassment.**

 **Thank you to astaroverhead!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4.

The Runaway And The Aristocrat

She thought it'd be easy – landing a job, that is.

After all, with her looks, who in their right mind _wouldn't_ hire Yang Xiao Long?

She was infamous around the village for her impossibly good looks - a sunflower among dandelions, they called her.

Her hair was a thick stream of wavy gold, an uncommon hair color in these times. Her eyes were captivating pools of lavender, her scent was of citrus, summer, and celebration.

And she was eighteen now, so she was encouraged to get a job.

She thought it'd be easy. Many of the village girls told her to try out seeking work at one of the local taverns.

The first night she was able to, Yang walked to the one nearest to her home.

Upon entering, she'd loved the vibe she got from it all. The air was alive and crackling with energy, and despite the thick scent of alcohol, she felt she could get used to it quickly.

The patrons were mostly older men, and they sat at the wooden tables with large jugs of overflowing beer, betting on who could down their mug faster. Waitresses wore simple dresses and aprons, smiling all the while as they scurried to each table to bring meat and beer to the men.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Yang was on the hunt for the boss, someone to talk to about discussing a potential job opportunity. So for now, she tried to avoid the action, as there was a section of open floor where people were dancing tipsily.

But even dressed in the unrevealing dress she adorned, Yang wasn't someone people could just ignore.

She couldn't even make it five feet into the tavern without being whistled at, and blatantly groped.

She tried her best to play it all off, to respond with winks and shakes of her head despite the awful chills that ran up her spine.

At last, she caught the eye of one of the other waitresses, but even that girl eyed her as though she were a threat to her job.

"I wanna talk to the boss," Yang told her.

"I think you're a little young for this place," the waitress said.

"I'm not!" Yang said. "You can ask my father if you'd like. I just turned of-age a few days ago!"

The waitress grimaced and rolled her eyes.

"You want me to get fired so you can get a position here?" she accused.

Yang frowned, taken aback.

"I didn't say that. Since when am I after your job?"

Before the girl could reply, a door in the far wall opened and a man emerged. He wore good clothing that suggested his position, unlike the patrons who wore mostly rags and tattered pants. He caught sight of Yang instantly, and she could sense that this was the man she was seeking.

Their eyes met, and they came to a mutual understanding as he beckoned her over.

He brought her into a quieter private office of sorts, all sound from the bar blocked off entirely. She told him her name as he sat her in a chair and offered her a drink, but not water – he offered her hard liquor.

Yang politely declined despite his insistence, until at last he relented.

"So," he said, walking slowly about the room. "Why would you like to work at my tavern?"

Yang shrugged.

"Everyone told me I'd be perfect for it!"

"I think you certainly would be," he agreed. "What with your beautiful hair, those eyes... and that smile."

He crossed the room and laid a hand on her shoulder, one she would've smacked away if this man hadn't been her future boss. She looked up at him, trying not to let it become a warning glare.

He smiled.

"You're hired, Miss Yang."

She'd been too excited to be cautious; this was her first real job, after all.

Even when he gave her the dress that was the uniform here with the extremely low-cut collar – significantly lower than she'd seen on the other girls – Yang didn't ask questions.

She ran home to her father and sister that night in their humble little cottage near the edge of the village. She told them the good news and they smiled and embraced her.

Yang was delighted to get this job now that she had finished with her school lessons.

Her father slaved away his days as a blacksmith, and when Ruby wasn't at her lessons, she was watching him, learning the ways to forge swords and weapons.

Yang had never been too interested in that profession, so she was glad that now she could finally help bring home some money.

And she did, but not because her eyes and hair and smile were what the people wanted from her at the tavern.

On only her first night working, the tables she served were entirely of men.

She wasn't naïve, but she also wasn't foolish enough to refuse the men who were ordering drinks and food from the person who was paying her at the end of the week. Besides, they always tipped her extra, and she couldn't afford to refuse the money.

So she endured it when they reached out a rough hand to touch her hip, said nothing when they eyed her chest like ravenous wolves.

Perhaps she'd get used to it.

Perhaps after the first few nights, the men would get bored of her and leave her be...

But they never got bored of her.

Before very long, the patrons started specifically requesting Yang be the girl to serve their tables, and while it earned her a good amount of extra cash to take home in her pocket, it also earned her the ire of every woman working alongside her.

Soon they were all against her, blindly turning the other way whenever Yang was touched by the men.

"They never touch _us_ like that," they'd say. "You should be flattered."

But flattered was the exact opposite of what she felt. It was more like revolted, disgusted, and utterly violated.

But every night, she walked home with heavy pockets full of coins and cash, forcing a smile as she pushed through the door to the cottage.

Home was the only good thing about those days.

The money she brought in allowed her family to have a decent meal every night, and it alleviated so much pressure from her father's shoulders.

Yang's first payment day at the tavern almost had her sobbing; because of her presence, the business had increased, and the boss gave her a handsome bonus. She gave it all to her father, and he embraced both of his daughters and wept with joy.

But the mistreatment Yang received from her patrons at the tavern didn't stop after the first week, or the second. The other girls hated her and refused to offer a helping hand whenever she was being hassled.

Yang defended herself only when it got bad, but otherwise let them do as they pleased, especially when her boss emerged to observe her.

It was torment, having to endure that every day, and yet she couldn't get out because of the money it was bringing her family.

As she walked home every night through the streets bathed in twilight, Yang could only shiver, still able to feel the hands all over her body. There was only so much cleansing a nightly shower could do for her.

It soon got to the point where she jolted if her father embraced her, and she pushed Ruby away for doing the same.

She felt so tainted, so impure. She didn't want it to rub off on her little sister.

Yang mulled through the days, praying for every evening to come faster, and dreading each morning to come.

Before long, she took home her third paycheck on top of the tips she'd earned every night, and Ruby hugged her again.

"Yang! You're so incredible!" she cheered.

But the blonde couldn't even manage to return the hug. She only pried Ruby away before retreating to their shared bedroom to shed her filthy waitress dress and slip on a nightgown before crawling into bed.

Not long afterward, she felt Ruby slip in beside her rather than go to her own bunk. Yang wanted to tell her to get out for fear of somehow staining her innocent soul, but Ruby was already fast asleep at her side.

That night, Yang curled an arm around her little sister, tucked Ruby into her chest, and sobbed softly.

She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer, but she dreaded to tell her family as much.

. . .

The next day, Yang held herself as proudly as she could as she ventured to the tavern.

As per usual, the men erupted in cheers and whooping sounds, all begging her to serve their table first.

She went through the usual motions like clockwork, taking orders, refusing to drink with them, holding still as their eyes traveled her.

She made it through most of the night, collecting her tips as she went, until a particularly vile man wouldn't take no for an answer. He all but dragged her down into one of the chairs before climbing on top of her lap, hands sliding all along her front.

Yang shrieked and lost her temper for the first time. She threw a powerful punch to his face, one that sent him reeling and collapsing onto the floor, his nose gushing blood.

While the waitresses shouted at her and called her a lunatic, some of the men were laughing and telling her they wanted to be next.

But Yang was finished with the abuse; she wanted out.

She snarled, sending glares at each and every one of them, and they all shrunk away until at last her eyes found her boss. She stormed up to him, furious and humiliated, but she held back the tears despite the redness of her face.

"What the hell kind of monster are you?" she snapped. "You're not running a brothel or a whore house! Defend your workers, you pig!"

But he, too, merely shrugged and laughed.

"This might not be a whore house," he said. "But you're definitely a whore, honey."

Outraged and embarrassed beyond words, Yang shoved him and sent him crashing into the wall. She tore off and fled the tavern – for good this time.

But... she didn't want to go back home.

Not after that.

Her family was too good for her.

As she limped through the streets, she came to a decision.

She'd go home, but only for a moment.

She waited until it was dark out, when she knew Ruby and her father would be asleep. Yang had come home late often enough for them to know they could retire without waiting for her.

She slipped inside the house, and the darkness suggested her assumptions were correct.

Yang treaded quietly over to the small table in the kitchen. She located a match to light the candle on the table with, and gathered a pen and paper before beginning to write:

 _Dear dad and Ruby,_

 _I'm really sorry this is so sudden, but something came up. Don't worry though, I'm fine_ -

She had to wipe her eyes so none of the tears would seep into the paper. She swallowed a sob and continued:

 _I'm fine. But I quit my job at the tavern. I'm going to look for another job, but I won't be back for a week or so. Sorry I couldn't tell you in person. I'm leaving tonight's pay with you guys. Take care._

 _Love, Yang._

She emptied her pockets and left the money on the table beside the letter. She only took a few coins for herself, just to be safe.

Then, Yang tip-toed up the stairs to hers and Ruby's room. She found her little sister in the bottom bed – Yang's – and wasn't all that surprised. Ruby had probably been waiting for her all evening.

"Sorry, sis," Yang murmured, bending down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it, 'kay? Promise."

Yang shed her tavern dress for the final time and tossed it somewhere unimportant; she vowed to fuel the fireplace with it once she returned.

She slipped into a clean dress, one of her own that didn't reveal so much skin, one that was softer and held fonder memories.

She grabbed a small bag and stuffed a blanket inside. She knelt to retie her boots, and then slipped the coins into her dress pocket.

When she stood in the doorway, she glanced back over her shoulder at her sleeping sister, a tiny, sad smile on her lips.

"Sorry, Ruby. I just... need some time away. Alone. I'll come home soon."

She knew Ruby's mother had failed to keep a similar promise, but Yang vowed she wouldn't do the same.

She blew Ruby one final kiss before closing the bedroom door and descending the stairs.

From there, she went to the door and slipped outside into the warm summer night.

She wasn't sure where she'd go or what she'd do, but at the very least she knew she'd return home, if only to keep her promise to Ruby.

* * *

When her father told Weiss and Winter they could have whatever they wanted on their eighteenth birthdays, he took it very seriously.

As the eldest sister, Weiss had planned her request weeks in advance, asking him if it was acceptable or not. He'd proudly told her that it was.

The Schnees were one of the richest families in the village of Vale. Their large three-story house could only be described as a mansion in these times, bigger and more extravagant than any others in the wealthiest part of town.

They had hired workers and guards whom they paid fairly, and that was part of the reason why the family never got robbed by petty thieves.

Schnee's daughters were often called snobs or spoiled brats – any variation of the words, they'd heard a million times before by jealous neighbors.

But Weiss and Winter often partook in kind little deeds when others weren't looking.

Weiss was known to take walks around this part of the village, and she always had a few lien to spare for the homeless. And she was never condescending about it, but rather caring.

Still, however, her main image was that of a wealthy man's daughter, and there were times when she _was_ , in fact, very spoiled.

They had a second house, a very small, two-story cottage in the forest near the edge of town, not far from the wide lake. The family of three would take small vacations there from time to time, to escape the village for a time and indulge in simpler things. Save from its location in the woods, that cottage was no different from that of a family's who received the usual, lower income.

Well-off as they may have been, Mr. Schnee had earned his wealth through hard work rather than luck. His family had had troubles of their own and often liked to escape from them at least once every season.

But for her birthday wish, Weiss had made a special request:

"I want to go away to the forest cottage alone."

Of course she loved the small vacations they took as a family, but she'd always wondered what it would be like to live alone for once, if only for a few days.

She was an adult now, and a curious one at that.

She insisted that no guards or maids accompany her, and though he was nervous about it all, her father agreed to her terms, telling Weiss it would be a good opportunity for her to learn responsibilities. He didn't fancy the thought of having to send his daughters off to be married some day, but he knew it was likely an inevitable path he'd have to travel, so this would be a good place to start for both himself and his eldest daughter.

She was the heiress to his fortune, after all, and he knew she would experience hardships in the future - things she couldn't come to him or her sister asking for help about.

So he would trust her with this freedom for her birthday.

The morning her trip was set to begin, Weiss woke early, changed into one of her dresses, and tied her hair quickly before going down to breakfast. She and Winter ate quickly before Weiss scurried back to her room excitedly, gathering sleepwear and leisure clothing - none of the formal stuff. Winter was excited too, and she went to her sister's room to help her pack.

The Schnees were one of few families in Vale to own a horse, and their father had presently secured him from the stable.

Weiss and Winter met their father at the front of the mansion, and the eldest loaded her single bag onto the saddle. Her father had packed her a bag as well, one full of various vegetables and other food items.

The cottage was a half an hour's walk, and only Weiss, her father, and a guard would be going. Therefore, Weiss embraced her sister briefly before she departed.

"Be safe," Winter murmured.

"Behave," Weiss chuckled, kissing her forehead.

Her father motioned for her to mount the horse – this was her birthday gift, after all – and he helped her get her feet into the stirrups before making sure she was settled. Weiss waved farewell to her sister as they set off, her father and the guard on foot and leading the horse at a slow pace.

The summer sunshine was bright and warm, making every cottage they passed seem happy for Weiss. The people they encountered smiled kindly, some because they were intimidated by the Schnees, but others because they knew what kind people they truly were.

Weiss liked the smiles of the latter group much more.

It was noon by the time she could see the forest, and the bustle of the town died away behind them. Another five-minute walk into the trees, and the cottage was in sight.

It sat atop a very small hill, and about a minute's walk away sat a large, freshwater lake. It was fairly close to the village, so people often came there to cool off, and children swam; Weiss was excited to be able to venture down to the water's edge and relax for an entire day.

But for now, she focused on the tasks at hand.

They reached the cottage, and her father supported her as she dismounted. The other man took her bag from the saddle, and her father handed her the key to the house.

"Make sure you lock the doors every night."

"I will, Daddy." She accepted the key and hugged him softly.

"And be safe," he went on, patting her back. "If you need anything, go to town and send word to me. I'll do whatever I have to."

"I know you will, Daddy." She strained up to kiss his cheek. "Try not to worry so much, okay? I'll be just fine."

He gave her one last squeeze before letting her go.

"I'll be back for you in a week. Happy birthday." He kissed the top of her head.

With that, he stayed put beside his horse and his guard, watching Weiss grab her bags and hurry to the familiar cottage. She put the key to the lock in the door and waved to him one final time before slipping inside.

She was certain to lock the door behind herself right away, and then place her bags down onto the stone floor of the entranceway.

She darted into the living room, her shoes sliding lightly along the wooden floors there. She went to the windows to peer outside into the forest, and she knew from the second floor she'd be able to see the vast expanse of the sparkling lake.

She ran back to her bags, taking the one full of food to the small kitchen area that was complete with a working stove and sink. Weiss hummed to herself as she laid out the various vegetables and a few slabs of steak her father had wrapped up for her.

She was still bursting with excitement, even after she'd hurried to the second floor and unpacked her clothes.

There were three rooms on the second level, one being a bathroom and the others being bedrooms. One was for her father, and the other was shared between Winter and herself.

But now it was all Weiss'.

The two beds sat beside one another on the floor, freshly-changed covers on them both; she recalled her father had sent a few maids here several days perviously to tidy up the place for Weiss' arrival in order to give her a bit of a break on the cleaning, being she was alone.

She all but dove onto her bed, giggling softly before sitting up to peer out the window. She could see the lake clearly from here, and she vowed that tomorrow she would go there.

But for now, she enjoyed having the cottage to herself, and spent her evening singing, preparing food, bathing, and ultimately curling up on her bed with a book under the candlelight, eager for a new day.

* * *

Yang didn't want to risk sticking to the streets and being discovered by other villagers, but the danger of the forest surrounding the town was even more unpredictable.

There was only one place she could think to go.

She trudged toward the treeline, knowing it wouldn't be a very far walk from where she already was.

She was cautious and made sure to listen to the sounds of the forest, aware of the increase of predators typically active at night.

But all seemed quiet, a welcomed change in the atmosphere after the hectic night at the tavern.

And then, she could finally hear it, the lapping of the waves against the shore.

Brushing through one last bushel of brambles, she emerged onto an open hillside that gradually sloped down and flattened out. The grass turned to sand, and that extended for only six or so feet before ultimately merging with water.

At least at night no one was around, and the openness of this part of the forest allowed sounds to echo, making it easy for her to hear signs of approaching trouble.

But there were no such things tonight.

Yang dropped her bag onto the ground in the spot just before the grass melted into sand. She dug around through the pockets until she'd located the blanket she'd taken from her room, and she spread it out over the grass.

After lying herself down, she took one end of the fabrics and curled it over herself; had it been any other season than summer, she would never have been blessed with such luck for a warm night.

Her gaze went to the stars above for a time, watching, counting, connecting them, as though she were searching for answers in them, waiting for them to show her something or tell her their secrets.

They never spoke to her or showed her anything, but at the very least they took her mind off the troubling thoughts and memories that kept threatening to resurface.

It was a quiet night, despite where she was, but she found herself missing the sounds of Ruby's little snores, the creaking of her old house when the wind blew against it...

And she was chilled, but she couldn't crawl up into Ruby's bunk or whisper for her to come down into hers.

Not tonight.

She wanted to go back, and yet she wanted to stay away, at least until she felt a bit better about everything.

A shudder ran through her, a mixture of chills from the air and from the memories of where she'd been touched by those men for the past several weeks.

She turned over again and closed her eyes, shutting out the world and her conscious with it.

* * *

When she woke, Yang felt as though she'd slept well, considering she'd been curled up in the middle of the forest.

She pushed herself up and shook out her hair, cursing when she realized she'd neglected to bring a brush along.

At least she'd remembered to grab a bit of food from the kitchen, just a few fruits. She dug one out now, not even bothering to care which kind it was before sinking her teeth in to satiate her growling stomach.

The lapping of the lake water was a tempting sound, and once she'd finished the fruit and tossed away the core of it, she ventured down to the water's edge.

The sun was just beginning to rise, pale yellow light cutting through the tree trunks and skimming over the sparkling surface of the water. There was a mist about the forest, thick grey clouds in the sky, and a familiar dampness in the air that could suggest only one thing; rain.

Yang groaned to herself as she knelt down and cupped water in her hands, bringing it to her chin to drink her fill and then splashing some onto her face to wash off the grime and sweat that had beaded over her skin in the night.

Once finished, she returned to her bag and blanket and simply laid down on her back to gaze up at the sky. It was only visible between patches of clouds, and the sunlight was more often than not covered by them as well. Darker ones lingered in the distance, but for now the ones overhead were grey.

Yang simply folded her arms behind her head and closed her eyes.

When other villagers started to arrive, they kept a good distance between her and themselves. The children swam and played in the lake while others filled jugs of water in it.

All in all, there were fewer than a dozen people who stuck around, likely because they, too, could sense the oncoming storm. It was a humid day, and very wet, the kind that made anyone grimace and groan.

Yang – with her dress she hadn't changes since she'd left home, and her mane of thick, tangled hair – was no exception.

She simply settled for napping, closing her eyes as though some answer to her whole predicament would present itself to her upon opening them again.

It must've been a few hours before she woke again, finding the sky darkening, the wind changing. The other people began to leave the beach, parents urging their children to hurry so they could make it home before the rain started.

But other than herself, there was one more person who didn't seem in a hurry to leave.

She was a bit to Yang's right side, also sitting on a blanket as she filed her nails. Yang noticed a lot of things about her right from the start.

First of all was her appearance, naturally. She wore a long blue skirt and a simple white shirt, a set of clothing not too out of the ordinary for a village girl.

But the colors were unusual, as white was hard to come by – most white shirts turned brown or grey before long, but there wasn't a single stain on this girl anywhere. The materials of her clothes were also very well-sewed and looked sturdier than the clothes most people adorned.

Then there was her alabaster hair, an extremely unusual color in any part of the world. It was as long as Yang's own and very well-kept, suggesting her status; Yang knew personally that having long hair was a hassle to maintain and expensive if it was to look as nice as this girl's did.

Most others – Ruby included – tended to chop it all off before long. Yang had only kept hers because she liked it, though she did realize she'd been neglecting it quite a bit lately.

The nail file the girl was using was another factor to suggest her higher-ranking status in life, as were the two books stacked at her side.

This girl was nothing short of gorgeous, and Yang had to wonder what she was doing here alone.

She must've been gawking, because the girl looked up at her.

That was when Yang noticed the scar over her eye, but even more alluring were her eyes - the most beautiful blue Yang had ever had the pleasure of viewing.

She felt a smile coming on, just from how much she loved that color.

However, the other girl spoke in an unamused, rather defensive tone.

"Can I _help_ you?"

Yang blinked rapidly several times before shaking her head.

"Uhh... no, not really. Sorry." It'd been the first time she's spoken since the tavern, she realized. Perhaps this girl could help her after all, by humoring her if nothing else. "Um... what are you doing out here?"

The second she asked, she felt dumb for doing so.

The other girl glared at her.

"I could ask the same of you! You've been lying there for hours, and you were here even before I was! Your clothes and hair look positively grungy. Did you forage for berries this morning?"

Her tone sounded almost accusing, and Yang was about to be offended by it.

But when she looked close enough, she could see the girl's expression was less out of outrage and more out of... concern? And she was only yelling because of the distance between them.

Yang took a breath and composed herself before replying.

"I'm on a vacation... sort of..." she said simply.

The white-haired girl gave her a puzzled look as though Yang had sprouted a tail.

"Well then, I hope you're thinking of packing up soon," she said. "There's going to be a storm, in case you haven't noticed." As she spoke, the white-haired girl lifted herself onto her knees and began packing her books and supplies away, folding her blanket up before stuffing it into a basket. "I'm assuming you're taking your sweet time because you live nearby and can make it home before the rain starts, right?"

But Yang made no move to pack up her things, and simply shrugged.

"Nah. I'm not going home yet. Not for a few more days at least..."

The girl turned to her sharply, her knees sending a bit of sand up into the air.

"What do you mean you're not going home?" she snapped, and again, it was more flustered than anything.

"What do _you_ care?" Yang growled.

"Can't I? Am I not allowed to?" the girl snapped.

Yang was taken aback by her vehemence, and spoke cautiously from there.

"I mean... what do you get out of it? Worrying about others, I mean."

That was the first time Yang saw an ounce of anger from the other girl, but she also flinched as though she'd been stricken.

"Why do people assume I must _gain_ something from everything I do? Is it because I'm a Schnee? We may have a lot of money, but that doesn't mean we're heartless, you know!"

Yang wasn't even put off by the girl's scream – she was too focused on what she'd said first.

White hair, clean clothes, books... Of course this girl was a Schnee.

And Yang had just made her unhappy, it seemed.

"Hey, I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to suggest-"

"What? Speak up! You're mumbling! No, you know what? Don't speak. You're coming back to my cottage with me so you can explain things properly."

The white-haired girl slid her basket onto her forearm and stood.

Yang could tell quickly that this girl was only as tall as Ruby was, even though Schnee's daughters were closer to Yang's age.

She was flustered to find this girl was being serious though, because she made her way over to Yang wearing a glare all the while. She paused a foot or so away from her and offered her palm.

"Give me your hand."

"What?" Yang almost laughed. "You're not being serious, are you? Why would you do this?"

"You idiot! Are you _really_ going to make me _say_ it?"

"That'd be helpful, yeah."

"Ugh!" The white-haired girl stomped a shoe in the sand and threw her head back in frustration. "Fine! Unless you'd rather catch your death out here _in the bear-infested woods in the middle of a thunderstorm,_ you're coming with me!"

Yang's eyes went wide as she looked up at the girl still offering her hand. She didn't know what to say.

"You're... you mean it?"

The girl snorted and turned icy blue eyes on her again.

"If I didn't _mean_ it would I be _saying_ it to you right now?"

Yang had no response to that.

She didn't see any options available other than two: to refuse the girl and retreat back into the forest to brave a thunderstorm without shelter, or to accept her offer and hope for the best.

Yang might've been an idiot, but she wasn't dumb.

She'd seen the concern in this girl's eyes earlier, concern for _her_. Yang hadn't met people outside of her own family who would care for her wellbeing until now.

And this girl was still holding her hand out – albeit a bit impatiently now as Yang pondered her decision.

But the point was, she hadn't _grabbed_ Yang and forced her onto her feet and dragged her away. She'd made absolutely certain not to make contact with Yang unless Yang herself wanted to.

That was a sign of respect she couldn't ever remember being shown in the past.

Rain started drizzling down, but still the Schnee girl didn't leave. Something told Yang she'd wait even after the storm began if it meant Yang might accept her offer.

There was no point in making her wait any longer, though.

Yang heaved a sigh and reached up, sliding her hand into the much smaller one.

"Alright," she grumbled. "I don't know... what you want from me, but do your worst."

She felt the girl give a tug, helping Yang to her feet. The blonde swayed a bit, but there was a hand on her back instantly to support her.

"When did I ever say I wanted something from you in return?" the girl huffed. "There you go again, assuming I have some ulterior motive up my sleeve. That's all anyone ever thinks about with my family. Why can't we just be nice? I know you probably don't _expect_ us to be, but..." She trailed off with a sigh, clearly deciding this would be better addressed later, somewhere safe.

Instead, the girl knelt down and folded Yang's blanket for her, put it into her bag, and handed it to her.

"There. Now follow me. We can make it back without being drenched if we run." She took off without another word, surprisingly faster than Yang expected. The girl looked over her shoulder and called back to the blonde. "Hurry up!" But then, she seemed to have thought of something and quickly made her way back to Yang. "Are you injured somewhere?"

Yang blinked.

"No..." Why would this girl even care so much to think that?

Yang might've smiled a tiny bit.

"Good," the smaller girl said. "Then let's go."

Once more, she held out her hand for Yang to take. When she finally did, they were both off, Yang keeping pace with the girl as she weaved through the trees.

They climbed a bit of a hill, the grass slick with rain now. Yang cursed as her shoe slipped, and she very nearly dragged the both of them down into the mud.

But her guide reacted quickly, grabbing hold of a nearby tree with her free hand and tightening her grip on Yang with the other, which prevented the blonde from falling. With a grunt, Schnee's daughter hauled Yang back to her feet, and though she was panting, the first words out of her mouth were concern.

"Are you alright?"

Yang nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Come on."

They hurried on through the forest until Yang could see a small cottage up ahead. She followed the girl to the door where they paused as the key was fumbled for and put into place.

At long last, they pushed inside and closed the door behind them, just as the wind began to pick up outside.

Both girls took a moment to catch their breaths, only slightly wet. Yang knew that if she'd answered the girl quicker back on the beach, they might not have gotten wet at all. She felt guilty when her companion sneezed, and Yang met her eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Their hands were still together, and they only came apart so they could each deposit their things onto the floor.

"It's fine," the other girl muttered.

"You're really somethin' else," Yang went on. "Inviting a total stranger into your house, and when you say you have nothing to gain from it, too."

"Oh please." A small white hand ran through even whiter hair as she scoffed. "First of all, this is only a vacation home, hence why I'm here alone. And secondly-" Her blue eyes traveled over Yang's person until they found lavender. "I can tell you're not a threat. Forgive my saying it, but you're like me, in a way."

"Why would I have to forgive you for saying that?" Yang wondered.

The girl blinked up at her.

"Because I'm a Schnee. Because people don't like it when I compare myself to them. Because I'm not allowed to have problems, evidently..." Her blue eyes looked away, and Yang frowned, wanting them back.

"That's stupid. Everyone has their own problems. You're allowed to have them too, you know. I mean, why else would you be taking this vacation away from the rest of your family?"

She smiled a little when those blue eyes met hers again. It was as if this was the first time anyone had ever said such a thing to this girl.

For once, she didn't respond to Yang, but merely dipped her head a little before changing the subject.

"I'm Weiss, by the way," she mumbled.

"Yang."

Weiss nodded, and Yang felt she might've seen a bit of a smile on her lips for a split second, but she couldn't be certain. Weiss turned away and picked up her basket.

"Well, come on then. You're staying the night, so I'll fix you something to eat." She headed off toward the kitchen area before pausing and looking back over her shoulder. "You haven't _really_ been foraging for berries this entire time, have you?"

Yang laughed as she picked up her bag and followed after her.

"Not yet. But I probably would have ended up that way in a couple of days."

"What a fool..." Weiss muttered, leading her into the kitchen.

She motioned for Yang to sit down at the small table there as she herself went to the stove and began gathering an assortment of food on the counter that admittedly made Yang's mouth water. She quickly snapped herself out of it and closed her mouth as Weiss addressed her again.

"Now, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but I've got to ask for curiosity's sake. You said you were... on a vacation of sorts as well? Out here in the woods, of all places?"

Yang's shoulders slumped a little.

"Yeah. Kind of..." she mumbled. "Can I tell you about it later?"

Weiss nodded instantly.

"Of course."

For a few minutes, the only sounds were those of the rain pattering against the windows and the howling of the wind.

But the scent in the air was to die for.

Weiss was cooking meat, and Yang could smell seasonings in the mix as well.

When the food was done, a plate was placed before her, and Yang almost sobbed at the sight of the steak. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten such expensive meat; her family usually settled for cheap rabbit or chicken.

"Go ahead," Weiss said. "You'd better eat it all, or else it'll go to waste." She'd already started cutting into her own food.

Yang realized a fork and knife had been laid out for her, and she picked them up with shaking hands. The second the meat hit her tongue, she made the sound of one who had ascended to heaven.

"Oh my god, it's so good-"

"Hey! Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Shorry!"

Weiss tossed her a napkin, but couldn't help but smile.

They ate together as though they'd known one another for years, and it was almost frightening to Yang how _easy_ it was for the both of them, how natural this felt.

Every time she met Weiss' eyes, she saw a bit of concern, worry Yang had never before seen from someone unrelated to her by blood.

It was flattering, in a way.

She'd always been the big sister, since day one. Even when Ruby worried about her, it wasn't the same as what Weiss was doing for her now. Ruby worried because she loved Yang, but what did this girl have?

Yang entertained these thoughts as she finished eating, thanking Weiss profusely for serving her.

"I... heh. I really don't know what I'd've done if we hadn't found each other," she confessed. "I really did plan to just kinda... live out in the woods for a time. Y'see I left home for a bit because-"

"Ah-pup-pup-pup-pup!" Weiss tutted and held up a hand to stop her. "You can tell me all about it later. For now, no guest of mine shall be spending the night looking like that."

Yang looked down at herself and blushed, only now realizing the unkempt state of her dress and shoes.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize-"

"Hush now and give me your plate." Weiss demanded. She took the dishes and put them into the sink. "I'll run a bath for you, alright? Did you bring clothes along with you?"

"Um, yeah. A few."

"Good. Get those ready and wait for me."

With that, Weiss left the kitchen and headed upstairs to the second floor. Yang listened to her footsteps receding before she stood from her chair.

It took all of five seconds to dig out her change of clothes - an off-yellow dress not terribly different from the one she was wearing now.

After that, however, she felt entirely useless, loitering around as Weiss prepared to do more for her than she already had. So Yang set to work on cleaning the dishes, something she knew how to do quite well.

By the time she'd finished and placed them in the small drying rack, Weiss had returned. Her eyes were wide and voice impressed.

"Well that was kind of you," she said.

"You kiddin'? It's the least I can do to say thanks for all of this hospitality."

She grabbed her clothes and followed Weiss up the stairs. Again, it was almost unsettling just how much trust she'd already put into Weiss.

But the girl was a kindred soul – Yang could tell – and she was intent to learn more about her before very long.

Yang followed her to the bathroom, complete with a tub full of warm water. Weiss stepped outside into the hallway as Yang made quick work of removing her dress. She submerged herself, savoring the warm water against her chilled, wet skin. She couldn't stop a blissful "mmmm~" from slipping past her lips.

She was about to call out her gratitude to Weiss, but the other girl spoke first.

"Would you like me to wash your hair for you?" she wondered. "You've got plenty of it."

Yang looked to the door and met her eyes, chuckling as Weiss blushed faintly.

"Sure," she grinned. "I'd like that a lot."

She listened as Weiss stepped into the room, pulling a small stool over and sitting just behind Yang. She could smell the shampoo as Weiss dabbed some into her hands.

And then, small, gentle fingers made contact with her scalp, massaging softly, as not to tug a single strand of golden locks. Yang hummed again and slouched a little deeper into the water.

Again, she was lost in the sensations and thoughts that she'd been doing this with Weiss all their lives, and it was a shock to remember she'd only _just_ met this girl an hour ago.

Yang stiffened slightly as she was brought back to reality, but Weiss' fingers were still careful and soft.

"S-So, um..." Yang cleared her throat. "Why... are you doing all of this, exactly? For someone you just met?"

She heard Weiss huff behind her.

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm just..." There was a little sigh, and Yang could only describe it as tired. "I'm just... trying to be a good person..."

Yang waited for a beat as the hands in her hair stopped moving.

"What do you mean? You're just helping me so you can get some good credit next to your name?"

"No!" Weiss' voice wasn't angry or exasperated, but rather it was scared. "I don't want that! I don't want _any_ of that! I just wanted to help you if I could. I don't want a _reward_ for it! I simply..." She trailed off, obviously upset, her fingers curling.

Yang softened her voice. "Hey, I'm sorry," she said, looking back over her shoulder. "I could tell from the start that you only did this because you were worried about me – someone you didn't even _know_.

"And I guess I just... I couldn't believe someone would got outta their way for me. Especially a stranger who didn't have to spare me a second glance, y'know?" She paused for a moment, until Weiss' eyes found hers again, weary but willing to listen to her. "I'm sorry for judging you. I, of all people, should know how wrong that is."

Weiss held her gaze for a moment before Yang felt the girl's hands begin lathering her hair once more. "It's fine," she mumbled. "I always used to judge others. It was a difficult habit to grow out of."

"I'm sure you've been on the receiving end more times than you deserve," Yang said quietly.

"I'd assume the same for you."

A fragile silence fell between the two of them, and Weiss cupped water in her hands before pouring it into Yang's soapy tresses to begin rinsing it out.

"You've got such lovely hair," she said. "You should take care of it better."

"I know..."

Yang could feel the tiny handfuls of water being poured over her head, but she knew it would take forever at this rate.

So she sped the process along by gulping in a breath and pulling herself entirely underwater, dragging the majority of her hair down as well. When she burst back up to break the surface, she heard Weiss yelp and topple over her stool.

"You idiot!" she shrieked. "You nearly gave me a heart-attack! I thought you'd collapsed and were about to drown!"

"Aw geez, you're too cute!" Yang chuckled, speaking without really thinking the words through first.

That was a bad habit she had yet to break.

She looked to Weiss and her smile fell, worried she'd said something she shouldn't have.

But luckily, the girl on the floor didn't seem angry by the words, but rather the actions.

"Goodness," she huffed. "Alright, out of the tub with you! Put some clothes on and I'll show you to the bedroom." She tossed Yang a towel and scrambled to her feet before promptly turning away.

Yang did as she was ordered and wrapped the towel around herself as she stepped out, padding it all around her body and through her hair before slipping into her undergarments and clean dress.

It was odd, but this was the first bath in weeks that she'd stepped out of feeling truly clean. Weiss' kindness and her innocence seemed to have washed off the imprints of dirty hands all over Yang's body, even though she'd only touched the blonde's hair.

But ever since she'd been with Weiss, Yang felt _better -_ about everything she never thought she could get over.

She felt healed, like she'd been forgiven somehow.

She couldn't really describe it.

Weiss turned back to her when Yang was finished changing, but before she could lead Yang away, the blonde spoke up.

"How about you clean off, too? Not that you _need_ to," she said quickly. "But... I wanna return the favor."

Weiss paused, considering her options for a second. Yang smiled when she heaved a sigh and gave in.

"Fine..."

They switched roles, Yang stepping out into the hallway as Weiss drained the bath and refilled it for herself. She scurried out and disappeared into one of the bedrooms, emerging with a clean nightgown to change into later.

Yang waited as the girl undressed and entered the bath, the steamy water reaching up to her chin where it had only reached Yang's shoulders.

Yang righted the stool and sat behind Weiss in a similar fashion, but paused before she could touch her hair.

"Is it alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Weiss mumbled. "Just please... be gentle, if you would?"

There was a faint hint of nervousness in her tone, and Yang was sure to gather the silver locks floating atop the water's surface with care.

"Sure thing," she said. "But just stop me at any time if I'm hurting you, 'kay?"

Weiss nodded, and Yang reached for the shampoo, rubbing it between her palms before running her hands slowly through Weiss' hair. She could see the girl's slender shoulders quivering slightly, and Yang made an effort to ease the tension with conversation.

"Y'know, you were the first person I like to touch my hair, save from my little sister. It's my pride and joy." She cupped a warm handful of water into Weiss' hair, using her nails a little to rub in the soap.

Weiss was silent for a moment before forming a response.

"You too," she said. "I mean you're the first person to really ever touch my hair aside from my little sister. But..." She paused, and Yang inclined her head to listen better. "You... you said... I was only the second person who touched your hair... who you _liked_...?"

Yang froze and sucked in a quick breath.

"Uh, ahaha, yeah. Well... I mean you've been really nice to mean after only just meeting me. And I don't know much about you, but I... I do like you... a bit... I guess..."

A squeak from Weiss had Yang blushing.

"That's-! That's not what I meant!" she stammered. "I mean I... must admit I don't _dislike_ you but that isn't what I meant at all." She took a deep breath, and Yang watched her shoulders rise and fall. "I meant... who _didn't_ you like that touched you?"

"Um... well..." Yang wasn't sure how to reply. She was silent for a minute, hands fumbling through Weiss' hair. She must've tugged a strand, because the girl yelped. "Sorry!" Yang gasped. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Again, she acted without thinking, leaning forward to kiss the back of the girl's head, lips pressing through soft hair.

"I-I..." Weiss stammered. "Yes, I'm fine... It's fine. Don't... worry about it..."

Yang sighed in relief. "Oh good. I'm glad. Sorry." She returned to her task of washing Weiss' hair, taking extra care from here on out. "But um... I'll tell you after this, okay? You've told me about yourself, so it's only fair I do the same."

"No, you don't have to," Weiss said. "Not if you don't want to."

Yang felt herself smile as she trailed a hand down into the water, sprinkling it over Weiss' hair.

"Nah, it's fine," she murmured. "I want to."

She continued rinsing out Weiss' silken hair until at last all the bubbles had been cleared out.

At that time, Yang excused herself from the bathroom and went back to the hallway, waiting a few moments until Weiss had emerged, dressed in a light blue nightgown.

"Come with me," the white-haired girl said. She offered her hand to Yang as she passed her, waiting expectantly for her to take it.

Yang smiled and did just that, following her into the larger of the two bedrooms. There were two beds inside, side by side unlike hers and Ruby's bunk beds back at home.

Weiss turned on the main light and pulled her over to one of the beds, having her sit down.

"Hold still," she mumbled.

Yang did as she was told, her eyes wandering to the windows. It was black outside, probably about sunset by now, but the storm hadn't let up at all. The rain was still hissing and there was a distant rumble of thunder in the distance.

She was pulled from her slight reverie when she felt hands caressing her hair all down her back, a familiar prickling sensation running through her hair.

She hadn't realized when Weiss had grabbed a hair brush, but Yang couldn't remember the last time she'd used one on herself, let alone let someone else brush it for her. She sighed almost too quickly, posture slumping as she leaned back.

She didn't miss the small chuckle from Weiss.

"Does it feel good?"

"It feels fantastic..." she mumbled.

"I'm glad. _Someone's_ got to take care of all this hair if you won't."

Yang chuckled again.

Weiss continued combing through her hair, pausing every time she encountered a knot, making sure to untangle rather than rip.

It was all too good. If anyone had told Yang a week ago that she'd be in this cottage in the middle of the woods with one of Schnee's daughter tonight, she'd have laughed herself into a coma.

It was like a cancellation of the previous two weeks at the tavern, as though tonight alone had cleansed her of those nights, given her a second chance.

She felt she could return home to Ruby and her father with her head held high and start hunting for a new job.

But... it wouldn't hurt to stay with Weiss until tomorrow, especially after all of this. She could feel herself slipping – in more ways than one, apparently.

She was only snapped back into the world of the waking when her weight shifted backward. Weiss yelped, struggling to catch her and push her upright once more. Yang opened her eyes and quickly righted herself before she could crush the smaller girl.

"Sorry!" She turned around and pulled Weiss back up from the bed. "Sorry, it just... felt really nice."

"Goodness..." Weiss muttered. "This is the second time within the few hours I've known you that you've given me such a start!"

"Sorry!" Yang repeated. "Here, lemme make it up to you. Gimme your brush and slide over here."

Weiss grumbled something under her breath, but ultimately did as she suggested.

Yang started combing the girl's damp hair for her, smiling when Weiss eventually sighed and relaxed. Minutes passed, and Yang brushed through Weiss' hair until it was smooth and almost dry.

The rain had become background noise they'd both gotten used to by now, but it was when a rumble of thunder sounded when Weiss pulled away.

"Thank you," she said quickly. "That's fine, Yang. We should rest now. You take this bed, alright?"

"W-Wait, are you serious?" Yang's jaw gaped as Weiss plucked the hair brush from her grasp and put it aside on a small dresser. "You're really gonna... let me stay the night? In a bed?"

Weiss had crossed the room to turn off the lamp, but just before she could, she whipped back around.

"You're really an idiot, aren't you? Did you _honestly_ think I'd invite you into my vacation cottage, make you dinner, bathe you, and bring you into a bedroom only to tell you that you can't sleep here?"

Every word out of her mouth had Yang's cheeks turning warmer, and she realized Weiss' were pink as well. She couldn't help but say it aloud.

"Wow. We kinda sound like a married couple, huh?"

Weiss shut off the lamp before Yang could see her reaction, shrouding the room in darkness.

"Quiet. Just go to bed. I'll have you know I'm only staying here for a week, so that's as long as you're allowed to stay."

Weiss stomped over to the other bed and sat down, pulling the covers over herself. Yang watched her in the faint lighting.

"You're... offering to let me stay an entire week...?"

Another huff, but Yang knew what the girl was trying to convey; if Weiss hadn't meant it, she wouldn't have said it in the first place.

Yang didn't think she deserved to take her up on the offer, but... but she really _did_ like Weiss, in more ways than one, and she'd only known her for several hours today.

Who knew what else she'd find to like after a few more days?

Yang shifted a bit where she sat on the bed.

"Well... we'll see, I guess."

"I guess we will," Weiss agreed. "Now get some rest."

"Got it."

Yang stretched herself out on the bed, crawling beneath the blankets.

The mattress was much sturdier than her humble one back home, and an unfamiliar scent clung to the pillow. When she thought on it for a few moments, she realized it was Weiss' scent; this must've been her bed, rather than her sister's.

Thunder growled outside, shattering the sky, and she needed to admit Weiss might just have saved her life by allowing her to spend the night indoors.

As she lie there, a melancholy exhaustion overcame her, dragging at her conscious like a tide, returning with a bit more fervor each time. So many thoughts were swarming her mind, thoughts of where she'd been a day ago, and of where she was now, thoughts of Ruby and their father, and thoughts of-

Yang opened her eyes once more.

There'd been a particularly loud crash of thunder, one to jolt even a heavy sleeper like her awake.

But it wasn't the thunder that had bothered her – it was a much more troubling sound.

Weiss had stifled a cry into her pillow.

Yang wasn't a stranger to night terrors, especially someone else's. Her instincts as an elder sister simply couldn't be ignored, and she wasted no time in slipping out from beneath the blankets, her feet padding softly across the floor to the other bed.

She could make out Weiss' form through a flashes of lightning, curled up and shivering. Yang's heart went out to her, and she made sure not to startle her.

"Weiss...?"

The girl turned over slowly to face her, sending a glare up in the darkness.

"What do you need?"

"I think we both know _I'm_ not the one who needs something right now."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're-"

"Scooch over, yeah?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"C'mon."

Yang sat herself on the bed, eyes traveling down to Weiss. She reached out a hand to lightly brush against her ear, tucking loose hair behind it. She both felt and heard Weiss' quivering breath as the white-haired girl relented and made room for her.

Yang laid herself down softly, moving beneath the blankets; the fact that Weiss hadn't refused her company was well-received for several reasons.

Even still, Yang made sure to keep a bit of distance between them, at least for now – she wasn't sure how long she could hold herself back with Weiss trembling like she was.

Yang faced her, eyes patient and worried as she kept her voice low.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Weiss clutched the blankets tighter to herself.

"Nothing's _wrong._ "

"Don't like the thunder, huh?"

"Wh-What-"

"My little sister's the same way," Yang said. "Unless she's already asleep by the time the storm rolls around. She's probably read my note by now and knows I'm gone, but I doubt she's sleeping well tonight without me..." Her voice took on a note of guilt, but before the feeling could start to eat away at her, something else pushed it away.

Weiss slid closer to her, unsure of what to do with herself, her hands hovering, but intentions clear.

Yang smiled softly.

"It's alright. Go ahead."

She waited, holding Weiss' blue gaze for another moment, until the next crash of thunder sounded. Weiss yelped and clung to her tightly, and the speed and firmness with which Yang embraced her in return was second-nature.

This wouldn't be the first time she'd held a frightened girl in her arms – far from it.

She rubbed her hands up and down Weiss' back and through her soft hair, unable to distinguish if the girl was truly crying or not. But the shaking told her enough, and Yang held as tightly as she felt was appropriate for such a slender girl.

She could detect a dull yet quickened beat from Weiss' chest, and couldn't stop herself from dipping her head to kiss the girl's temple.

Again, she realized what could've been a mistake, too late.

"Sorry..." she murmured. "Are you-"

"It's fine..." Weiss mumbled. "It's fine... please..."

She didn't need to finish out loud for Yang to be able to interpret what she wanted to say:

 _Please just don't let me go._

Good thing too, because Yang hadn't intended to unless Weiss had specifically asked her to.

Yang did what she knew how to best, providing comfort by means of warm hands and a gentle hum, along with the occasional kiss, especially when the thunder crashed. She could feel Weiss' arms locked around her to demonstrate just how terrified the girl was, but Yang didn't mind.

The only thing she _did_ mind was the trembling, and she was sure to keep up her efforts until it began to die down.

She didn't know how long it took, but she hardly cared.

Eventually, Weiss' grip slackened a bit, but Yang kept her secure in her arms, resting her chin on the girl's head, covering her protectively. She'd done it a million times.

And yet, Weiss was entirely different from Ruby somehow, but she didn't have the time to consider why right now.

Weiss had pulled away slightly, leaving a lingering warmth on the blonde's collar as she sighed. Yang petted down her back slowly.

"You silly girl," she mumbled. "Did you really think you'd be okay out here all alone for a week? Didn't you ever think it could rain?"

Weiss didn't miss a beat.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Yang winced; Weiss had her there.

But the lightness that speaking had brought to the atmosphere couldn't be ignored, and Yang wanted to maintain it for a while longer, so she thought of more to say.

"My little sister's scared of thunder, too," she said.

"So is mine," Weiss murmured. "We both are. So whenever it happens, we both just find one another and huddle together in whomever's bed is closest. I hope she's okay tonight."

"I bet she's worried about you."

"I bet yours is, too."

The topic naturally dropped, but Yang wanted to keep talking. She decided to bring up something that had been on her mind since the beach; she'd promised Weiss she'd tell her, after all.

She cleared her throat to indicate she was about to speak, then did so in a soft tone.

"Hey, um..."

She felt Weiss pull away a little more, until she could see her eyes. Yang knew Weiss had given her full attention to listen. The blonde inhaled and went on.

"Thanks for um... well not only for lettin' me stay here and for taking care of me and all that. But... you never... touched me without my say-so, either. Not even with holding my hand back on the beach, not even just now. And I just wanted to say thanks for that."

Her words were followed by a brief silence, and even when more thunder crashed, Weiss hardly flinched.

Yang knew the girl was entirely focused on her now. She felt Weiss' hands curling against her back as she chose her words carefully.

"You don't need to thank me. It's only natural to ask for one's consent before making contact."

Yang's response was a dry laugh.

"You're the first person I've met in weeks who seems to believe that."

She could see the dismay in Weiss' eyes, traces of pain present as well, but overall what she saw in those blue pools were openness and concern.

She wanted to listen if Yang was willing to tell.

The blonde took another breath; Weiss had told her about herself, and she'd promised to do the same.

So she did.

She talked about her work at the tavern, and how she'd been mistreated on a nightly basis, but couldn't stop because of the money she'd been bringing home.

Weiss stayed silent all the while, though there were several times Yang could tell she was biting her lip to hold back an outburst.

She told Weiss how she'd wound up in the woods, how she'd left Ruby and her father just to get away from it all. She hadn't realized how jumbled her voice had gotten as it spilled out between clipped breaths.

"I-I just... I felt so _filthy_. Those men just kept touching me whenever they felt like it, like I was some kinda doll on display. And the boss he... he called me a whore when I've never even been in love. I-I can still remember everywhere their hands have been and I... I couldn't go home to Ruby like that... I couldn't let her touch me..."

Only then did she realize she was crying, sniffling pitifully as she hid her face in the pillow. But not for more than a few seconds.

Weiss pulled her in gently, reversing their previous positions and tucking Yang's head into her chest, tracing slow circles over her shoulder blades as she hushed her.

Yang remembered Weiss was a big sister, too, and even when the girl was scared by the thunder on nights like these, Yang could tell she was always the one shielding her little sister. It was just how big sisters were.

But even they needed a bit of shelter from things sometimes.

Yang had provided that for Weiss, and now it was her turn to receive.

She didn't mind, either.

She listened to Weiss' voice - quiet, but laced with a cold fury for the people who had hurt Yang.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured. "That's awful. I can't even imagine it. If at any time I do something you don't like, tell me right away. Push me – I don't care. Alright?"

Yang sniffed again, tightening her embrace around the smaller girl's waist.

"That won't happen," she murmured. "Just... for whatever reason... just being with you for only this long... I feel like I've been healed or... forgiven for all of that stuff."

"Yang..."

There was something about the way Weiss said her name in that moment, so tenderly...

It made her start to cry again.

Weiss kissed her temple and went on.

"Yang... you've committed no crimes. You don't need to be forgiven. You've always been fine – just fine. You've endured so much when... all I've ever done was sit at home and take lessons... _I_ should be thanking _you_."

There was a pause as Yang caught her breath.

"Why... would you say that?"

Weiss adjusted her arms slightly, letting Yang nestle into her collar.

"There are plenty of rumors around the village, of how 'if she looks at you, she'll steal all your money somehow!' Or, 'if she touches you, you'll lose all you have!' Some people... they make things up as excuses not to be near me.

"My father forbade me from touching others, even the homeless people we give our money to. I was taught to always ask for their consent first, but even then, I could see they believed the rumors...

"But not you. You were the first person who didn't flinch when I touched you, and I'll apologize for admitting I expected you to. But... if you think about it... it's almost as though we were meant to encounter one another... don't you think?"

The rain hissed on outside as Yang processed everything Weiss had just said to her. She'd never given anyone permission to touch her before Weiss, and Yang was the first person Weiss could make contact with comfortably – and Yang hadn't minded, either.

For Yang, all anyone had ever seen was the outside, never the inner strength.

For Weiss, they'd only ever seen her status and money, never her true character.

They were both the big sisters, guilty of leaving their siblings behind for a time, but both in need of space themselves.

And yet, here they were now, clinging to strangers.

Neither had ever been held by another until tonight.

And they could both feel that it was... different from the embrace of a sister or friend, but it was far from desperation.

It just felt, natural, comfortable, _right_.

Yang was silent for a moment as her tears came to a stop, listening to the pulse beneath her ear as Weiss combed gingerly through her hair with small fingers.

For a while, neither moved or spoke. They simply breathed together, circling warm palms over backs.

The thunder had faded, as had the shaking on both their parts. Along with the stillness came a silent surety - a promise that anything done from this point onward wasn't just a result of thoughts the night brought, or a need for physical contact in the wake of fear.

There was a calmness, a confidence that whatever came next was fully accepted with every beat of their hearts.

Yang pulled away, revealing a face wet with trails of tears.

Weiss brushed them away with her thumb, whispering that she was alright.

It was both a reminder and a promise.

Yang nodded and told her the same.

Neither initiated it, and neither refused.

Lips that had previously pressed to cheeks and temples now met together softly.

It was a first for them both – the night had been a lot of firsts, but they didn't mind sharing.

Their chests pressed close together and lips closer still, heartbeats thick as they pounded together as one pulse.

There was a mutual sigh as they broke apart, unwilling to question whatever it was that had just happened between them.

They each accepted it in that moment, no matter the consequences.

Neither girl reopened her eyes before falling asleep, before worries of tomorrow could burden her mind.

* * *

Weiss felt warmth encompass her as the world came back to her the next morning.

The sunlight peeking through the windows provided the warmth on her face, but as for the rest – at her chest and shoulders and stomach – those hailed from a different source.

She and Yang were still wrapped in a loose embrace from last night, their faces level on the pillow. It served to remind Weiss of everything that had transpired.

She lay there for a moment, trying to control her breathing, still savoring that warmth. She recognized it as nervousness, but it was strange. There was no factor of uncertainty about it.

It was only... excitement.

Joy.

They'd kissed, without knowing why and simultaneously knowing _exactly_ why.

All Weiss knew was that it felt _good_ to wake up without a single regret, and she hoped Yang would, too.

She watched the blonde for a few moments, wondering if she'd ever looked so peaceful when she'd rested knowing she'd have to wake up and attended work at a tavern full of lechers.

Weiss couldn't help herself. She leaned in and kissed Yang's cheek softly.

"But all of that's over now," she whispered.

Carefully, she slipped from Yang's arms without waking her. She just needed a bit of time to herself, some fresh air to breathe as she sorted out her emotions and tried to control the bubbling sensation in her chest.

Weiss padded quietly down the stairs, slipping into her shoes from yesterday that had dried of rain and mud by now. She pulled a small blue coat on over her nightgown and went to the door, leaving it unlocked from the inside before stepping outside.

The morning was still and quiet, every leaf and blade of grass brightened by droplets of water that shone in the sunlight.

Weiss walked out into the trees, listening to the birdsong. Her heart was still fluttering with thoughts of Yang, how impossibly fast they'd fallen for one another. She longed to both stay outside a while longer to settle down, and return to the cottage so Yang wouldn't have to wake up alone.

It was strange how perfect the world felt that morning, how safe and unthreatening.

How nothing could go wrong.

But Weiss soon came to realize that just because she was in love didn't necessarily mean the world was going to care.

There was a rustling from behind her, and she turned swiftly, squinting into the bushes. She was able to make out a brown shape, about two feet high, trouncing through the undergrowth.

Weiss felt ice fill her veins.

It was a bear cub.

She took a step backward with painstaking slowness, keeping her eyes and ears alert.

But she hadn't managed five steps before she heard sounds of a much larger animal lumbering about.

Weiss swallowed down every shaking breath as a large brown bear emerged, snorting and shaking its head at her. There was nothing more dangerous in these woods than a mother bear who saw a threat to her cub.

Weiss could only back away as the bear advanced slowly, keeping her gaze to the grass – anywhere but those beady black eyes.

But it seemed she'd ventured too close to the cub for comfort.

With a throaty roar, the mother charged, and Weiss could do nothing but run for her life.

* * *

Yang knew she'd been reliving the events of last night on repeat, even in her sleep.

When she woke, she could feel herself smiling, expecting to find the other girl beside her.

But that smile faded when she opened her eyes to no sign of Weiss. She reached out a hand to find the space beside her was cold.

The way the giddy feeling melted away told her it wasn't just because Weiss was a morning person.

Something wasn't right - big sister instincts said as much.

She threw the blankets off of herself and hurried down the stairs.

"Weiss?"

No response.

Yang noticed the girl's shoes were gone, and the door had been left so someone could enter from the outside.

She didn't like this feeling that was creeping over her.

Yang stuffed her feet into her boots and rushed out the door, voice rising in panic.

"Weiss?"

But still there was no response of any kind.

A glance to the ground showed small footprints in the mud leading away into the woods. Yang didn't waste a second as she followed them, hurrying as to abide by the sinking feeling in her stomach.

She hoped she was overreacting, that her instincts were off and she'd find Weiss unharmed and laugh at herself for having worried so much.

She wished she were jumping to conclusions, and she'd blame her excessive concern on their newfound love, the butterflies Weiss had given her last night...

A commotion up ahead had Yang running now.

There was a roar.

A scream.

Yang burst through a thick bramble, ignoring the thorns that scored her arms as she caught sight of the massive bear. It hovered over Weiss who'd crumpled on the ground, clearly in pain from a fall.

Yang didn't think. She rarely ever did, especially in times of peril, and this was the apex of such a situation.

Her body just moved on its own, her legs carrying her to Weiss to stand above her, blocking her from the beast's sight.

A mighty paw full of knife-like claws was raised to strike, but Yang was faster.

She'd always been strongly-built, but people failed to see that past her generous body.

She could feel the bear's breath on her face, feel the rush of air as the paw swung-

She made a fist - the tightest she'd ever clenched before - and threw her arm out. Her knuckles collided with the side of the bear's open mouth, and she felt her knuckles split open on sharp teeth.

The animal staggered and fell back onto all fours; the punch had stunned it, but no doubt made it angrier.

They didn't have much time.

Yang turned and bent down to scoop Weiss up into her arms, tearing off through the trees without a second thought. She heard Weiss whimpering her name, but she didn't look down or back – only ahead.

She didn't stop running until she'd crashed through the cottage door and slammed it shut behind her, slumping against it before sliding down to the floor with Weiss in her arms. She panted heavily, heart still hammering, and she could feel Weiss' doing the same.

Yang looked down to her and gave a crooked grin.

"Hey..." she wheezed. "Mornin'."

Weiss' eyes were still wide and scared, but that was soon overridden by sheer disbelief.

Yang waited for the praise, for the embrace and the sob of relief.

But instead what she got was a flick to the forehead and a stinging tone.

"You idiot!" Weiss shrieked. "You just punched a bear!"

"Ow..." The blonde rubbed her forehead. "Uh, yeah, I know. I saved your-"

"Never mind that! Come here!"

Weiss scrambled out of her lap and pulled Yang to her feet alongside her before dragging her over to a small closet. Weiss dug around for a second until she pulled out a small kit of bandage wrap and a bottle of disinfectant. She grabbed a rag and pressed it to Yang's bloody knuckles, dabbing away the blood before opening the bottle.

"Hey, calm down," Yang chuckled. "It's not that- Oh-!" She slapped her free palm to her mouth to stifle a colorful curse as Weiss ruthlessly poured disinfectant over the wound. It stung like a swarm of wasps, and Yang stomped her foot to channel some of the pain. "Ahh geez, that's powerful stuff!"

"Quiet!" Weiss scolded her. She worked quickly to dab away more of the blood before wrapping the bandage around Yang's hand.

Once she was satisfied with covering the wound, Weiss nipped the strip with her teeth to cut it, slipping the loose end beneath some of the folds to secure it.

"There," she huffed. "Now."

Another flick between the eyes had Yang yelping.

"H-Hey! What was that f-"

"Never-!" Weiss cut her off. " _Never_ before in all my life have I _ever_ met such a reckless _brute_ of an idiot!"

Yang was dumbfounded by the sudden shouting, but before she could retaliate or come up with any kind of response, Weiss had thrown her arms around her.

"What an idiot you are," she mumbled into Yang's shoulder. "You could've died because me..."

Yang took a breath, smiling softly as she returned the embrace.

"It would've been worth it."

Weiss stepped on her foot.

"Don't you _dare_ say something like that! After I've only known you for one day, after I've only loved you for _one day!_ "

She stopped with a gasp, and Yang knew she hadn't meant to say such meaningful words aloud. They'd both felt it, they'd both known what it was, but why was saying it so different from feeling?

It was obvious Weiss was scared about what she'd just confessed. She took a step back, letting go of the blonde.

"Sorry. I didn't-"

"Hey..." Yang kept her arms around the smaller girl's waist. "It's okay. I'm... really glad you said it because... well I wasn't sure, y'know? I mean, I was sure how _I_ felt, but I wasn't sure about you... But now I know you feel the same." She reached her injured hand up to Weiss' scar, rubbing gently. "I... I love you, too, Weiss."

The white-haired girl sucked in a breath as Yang returned the confession. Slowly, she reached both hands up to hold onto Yang's injured one. Weiss guided it to her lips and kissed the bandages softly.

"Last night..." she whispered. "Was it... was it even real?"

Yang searched her eyes, but only found confusion.

"What d'you mean?"

"I mean..." Weiss sighed, and when she blinked next, Yang saw tears. "I mean... it happened so quickly. _Us_. I mean I... I felt it too, and I'm still feeling it. I know what it is, and it's only for you, Yang. I don't have any regrets about anything, but... I'm scared. I don't want to lose it. Can... Can love really happen so quickly?"

She brought Yang's bandaged hand to her chest and held it tightly, but Yang could feel her trembling. There was a hard thumping beneath her palm, silent, and yet speaking volumes for Weiss' conflicting emotions.

Yang brought her free hand to Weiss' cheek, and the girl leaned into her palm with a sigh. Yang spoke softly.

"Well... sometimes love is strange. But just because it happens quickly doesn't mean it's not real or true." She fully believed in everything she was saying, and the water in Weiss' eyes told Yang she knew as much.

The blonde offered a wobbly smile before continuing. "Like I said, Weiss. I feel the same. I mean I can't deny any of it. There aren't too many people I'd punch a bear for," she chuckled. "But I... last night I really... and even now, I can feel it. No one's ever accepted me like you have. No one's ever loved me this way."

She was crying now, and Weiss was too. "And I know for sure... that I've never been in love until now. I fell for you hard, Weiss. You're so... caring and warm, so sweet. Even when you yell, I know it's just because you care. You're perfect, Weiss. You make me feel safe and just... so _happy_."

Weiss was struggling to keep her eyes open past the free-falling tears now, and when Yang finished speaking, she finally bowed her head and sobbed.

Yang could tell Weiss had never been told such things before – in fact, she'd likely heard the antonyms more than anything.

It took her a moment to compose herself enough to meet Yang's eyes again.

"Y-You..." she gasped. "You plan to just... s-say all of that without kissing me?"

Yang blinked away more tears, then smiled as she cleared some of Weiss' away.

She kissed her softly, feeling Weiss do the same, pouring everything she failed to say into the contact. Weiss didn't _need_ to say anything, because Yang could feel it - feel that unbridled acceptance for her alone - and she knew she'd never feel it again from anyone else for as long as she lived.

They held the kiss for as long as their lungs could afford to allow.

When they parted, each of them was breathless, and Yang brought them gently to the floor to kneel in each other's embraces. The pain in her hand was long gone, overpowered by the elation in her heart.

Moments passed before Weiss found her voice again.

"So... what's after this...?" she wondered.

Yang tensed.

"Um... y-your father... h-he wouldn't-?"

Weiss seemed to understand what she was getting at and quickly quelled her fears.

"Oh, no! He told me since I was a child I may... _see_ whomever I please, regardless of orientation or status. I'll simply tell him I met you on my vacation and was smitten with you. It won't be a lie, either." She smiled and kissed Yang's cheek. "But it won't be an issue, I can assure you. In fact, I know he'll be happy I've found someone I can confide in and be closer to than anyone else." She paused for a moment. "What... what about you?"

Yang showed her teeth with the smile this time.

"You kiddin'? My dad and sis'll be thrilled to see me come home, but they'll fall over when I tell them I got a girl! I'll have to introduce you."

"And I you," Weiss giggled. "But we'll save that for when our week is up. Until then... I want to know more about you, be with you more. Of course, I'll tell you about myself as well."

Yang nuzzled into her neck affectionately.

"I'd like that," she murmured. "I'd _love_ that." She pulled Weiss into her lap and sighed, kissing her hair. "You must've been a blessing for me, Weiss. The first part of my life, it was just... my dad took care of me, and I lived in bliss. It was just... too easy."

Weiss hummed, leaning her head against the blonde's shoulder.

"I can imagine."

Yang found her next string of words and went on.

"And then, the past few weeks of my life – working at that awful place, being treated like dirt, then running away to come live in the woods... it was just... too difficult."

Weiss' voice was quieter this time as she cupped Yang's cheek and kissed her neck.

"I can imagine..."

Yang closed her eyes for a moment, hugging her closer.

"But now," she went on. "Now, being here with you, feeling so warm and alive and happy and... and loved..." She pulled back to look into Weiss' shimmering blue eyes and dipped her head to kiss her smile. "It's just right," she murmured.

Weiss returned the kiss, laughing softly against her lips.

"I can agree to that."

A moment later, Weiss got to her feet, helping Yang along as well.

"Now what say you to some breakfast?"

Yang grinned, keeping hold of her hand with her healing one.

"Sounds perfect."

Despite the past hardships and misunderstandings, by some miracle, they'd found one another.

And they would be okay.

That much was for certain.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the little allusions to Yang's fairytale. You can be sure they'll both go home to their families soon and all will be well!**

 **And that concludes my Fairytale AU! I do hope you all enjoyed!**

 **My is Kiria Alice if you're interested in supporting me!**

 **Please review!**


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